


Something You Should Know

by hunter72



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Eventual Relationships, Gen, Oliver Queen as Ra's al Ghul
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2020-10-18 17:56:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 234,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20643308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunter72/pseuds/hunter72
Summary: What if Nyssa had given Oliver an important piece of information before Oliver was to hand over the League to Malcolm Merlyn. OR why it's important to have a clear understanding of what things mean before agreeing to anything





	1. My Name is...

**Author's Note:**

> I need to give credit to Laxit21’s “Fifth or Sixth Time's the Charm, Right?” for the plot bunny that just wouldn’t go away, which led to this. If you haven’t read any of Laxit21’s stories, I highly encourage you to do so. As for where this story is set in Arrow, it would be during “My Name is Oliver Queen” and will go AU from there.

Starling City

May 13, 2015

Oliver and Nyssa climbed out of the wreckage of the C-130 after gathering what weapons they could. They were lucky enough to find their bows and quivers, along with a pair of swords. Nyssa also had a handful of knives on her as well. The pair saw the scattered fires and could smell the jet fuel in the air, giving added incentive to get away from there as quickly as they could. It took them a brief moment to pick their direction and then they were running into the trees, on a course for the city.

“What is your plan now, Mister Queen?” Nyssa asked as they settled into a pace she could effortlessly maintain.

“We need to get to my team. Laurel needs to let her father know what is happening. We’ll need Ray and Felicity to work on a way to counter the Alpha/Omega. John, Thea and Malcolm will need to help us figure out how your father plans to disperse it,” Oliver told her.

“I know why your team will assist you, but what did you have to promise Al Sa-Her to gain his aid. What does he hope to gain out of this?”

Oliver was silent for several minutes, debating how much he was willing to trust Nyssa. Especially with the knowledge of the Faustian bargain he’d been forced to make with Malcolm, remembering that the man was responsible for the death of Sara Lance. He knew Nyssa wanted Malcolm to face death for that crime. He also knew that their alliance was based less on mutual trust and more on a desire to be free of Ra’s al Ghul. He had a good idea of how she would react if she knew the promise Oliver had been forced to make to get Malcolm’s aid. He also knew, however, how much worse that reaction would be if she found out at the wrong time. So, he braced himself and then answered.

“Malcolm’s price is that once I defeat your father, I make him Ra’s,” Oliver told her.

It took every ounce of control Nyssa possessed not to strike Oliver. How could he have agreed to that, to just hand the League over to the man who had murdered her Beloved. Were all the declarations of his feelings about Sara nothing but lies?

Oliver had stopped when she did and turned to face her. He could clearly see the anger and hurt in her eyes. He too had felt that anger when he’d made the deal with Malcolm and he still felt it at this very moment. The only thing that had kept that anger from taking over was the fear he had for his sister. Thea was the only reason he had allied himself with Malcolm. He certainly didn’t trust the other man, which, if he thought about it more, made their deal all the more unbelievable.

“You agreed to hand over the League to the man who murdered Sara, who was responsible for you both being on that island. Who forced you into a duel against my father which almost resulted in your death. Whose scheming forced you to become a member of the League. May I ask what you get out of this arrangement, Mister Queen?”

“My sister’s safety, for one. I also get to walk away from the League.”

Nyssa frowned slightly at that. The words just sounded off to her somehow. Not that she doubted Oliver, but it just sounded wrong. Because surely the man knew there were only two ways to leave the League: either you were dead or you were released by Ra’s. Somehow, she just couldn’t see Al Sa-Her giving up the advantage of having the Arrow neutralized, especially if he decided to cleanse Starling once more. Without him, the city would be virtually defenseless against a force like the League, something that Al Sa-Her certainly knew.

“Did Al Sa-Her explicitly tell you that he would release you from the League when this was done?” Nyssa asked.

“No, he didn’t,” Oliver told her, watching her face carefully. “Is that important?”

“Very, Mister Queen. Do you remember the first time you saw me? And the reason why I was there?”

“Yes. You came to force Sara back to the League. You poisoned Laurel and kidnapped their mother, because Sara refused to return with you.”

“You still have not answered the important question. Why was I there?” Nyssa asked again, wanting Oliver to reach the conclusion and realize what that meant for him. For both of them.

“Sara ran from the League and you were here to force her back,” Oliver said, thinking back to those weeks where Sara was under threat from the League. First from al-Owal and the members that had come with him, then from Nyssa. Then he remembered what Sara had told him and it clicked. “You’re saying that the League would view me the same way if I just leave after I hand the title of Ra’s over to Malcolm?”

“Indeed it would. Walking away from the League is not an option, especially for one with such a public profile as you. The only way that you and your sister, your friends, your city would be safe from retribution would be if Al Sa-Her released you.”

Realizing that they were wasting precious time, especially since they hadn’t defeated Ra’s yet, Oliver started moving again. Nyssa was quick to join him as well, the pair quickly falling back into that easy pace. Yet, Oliver couldn’t stop his mind from thinking about everything. Not just his plans and their backups, but also about what Nyssa had said and what it meant. Was what Nyssa had said really Malcolm’s intention? Was handing over the League only going to make things worse, with the League being lead by a man even worse than the current Ra’s al Ghul. A man who drugged his own daughter, had her murder a friend in order to force her brother on a collision course with the most dangerous man on Earth. Oliver was now forced to wonder if he had somehow been manipulated into believing that Malcolm was their only option for an ally against the League.

He also thought about the scorched earth he’d left behind in his quest to infiltrate the League, the looks he’d seen on Dig, Laurel and Felicity’s faces when the dungeon had been sealed and he’d left them to what they’d believed was their deaths. Was there a way to come back from that? If his initial plan had succeeded, he wouldn’t have had to worry about that, because he, Ra’s and everyone else on that plane would now be dead. He doubted anyone would have mourned his passing except perhaps Thea and Felicity. Pushing those thoughts and all others aside, he choose to concentrate of finding where his team was, so that they could help him defeat Ra’s.

Palmer Technologies

May 15, 2015

The last two days had been stressful to say the least. The tension coming off Dig and to lesser degrees Felicity, Laurel and Thea had only added to that stress. This was why, while they were trying to figure out where Ra’s was, Oliver would slip into an empty office and sit in the quiet. He’d known going after Ra’s while his emotions were running high was virtual suicide. He’d needed to find that point where the emotions aided him, rather than hindered. After his talk with Felicity, he had found it. They had managed to win, but the victory had come with a cost. Scores of people had been infected and a number had died. Now he faced his team, Nyssa and Malcolm. Nyssa finished bandaging his injured hand.

“You killed my father.”

“I had to,” Oliver told her.

“I wanted to be the one,” Nyssa said, fixing him with a look. “You’re lucky you’re still alive. You wouldn’t be had you not being wearing League armor.”

The tone of her voice could almost be called flirty, drawing a smile from Oliver that matched hers.

“I like to think I had a little something to do with that,” Felicity told him.

Oliver stood and walked to the center of the room.

“When I started this, I wanted to keep you as far away from it as possible, because that has always been my instinct. To go it alone. But the truth is that we won tonight because I wasn’t alone. I thought that this crusade would only end with my death. But even if I had died tonight, it would live on because of you, and you, oh, and you,” Oliver said, ending looking at Thea.

“It’s true,” Laurel said. “This city isn’t lacking masks.”

“Heroes. Which is why I no longer need to be one.”

“What are you saying?” Felicity asked.

“Ra’s took the Arrow identity from me. I couldn’t be that person even if I wanted to be. And I don’t want to be,” Oliver said, walking forward so that he was face to face with Felicity. “You told me I have become someone else. And I need to discover a little more about that person, so I’m leaving Starling for a while.”

The others turned to look at Oliver. He could see the confusion and hurt in Felicity’s eyes, the dashed hope that this would be the time he told her that they could be together. Nyssa and Thea were both surprised by the announcement. Laurel and Dig's faces were more expressionless, the only sign of some reaction was the slight clenching of Dig's fist before it relaxed again.

“Where?” Thea asked.

“Um, someplace far away from here. Even without me, Starling still has heroes to watch over it.”

Dig's face was still expressionless as he grabbed his jacket and walked out.

“John,” Felicity called after him.

“I’ll talk to him,” Oliver told her, before following the man who had been his rock.

“John?” Oliver said as he found him by the elevators.

“I’m happy for you Oliver. Despite our issues, you deserve to be happy. And you’re right, the city’s in good hands,” Dig told him.

“Including yours.”

“I’m no superhero.”

“You’re a hero. For three years, you’ve been a rock. The city’s rock, my rock. For three years, you’re been the person I can count on. I’m still counting on you,” Oliver stated.

“Oliver, I don’t know if I can get past what happened between the two of us.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

“I’ll think on it,” Dig said.

“OK,” Oliver told him as they shook hands. As Dig went to step into the elevator that had just arrived, Oliver continued, “John. If you’re going to keep going, you may want to find a way to conceal your identity when you’re out there.”

“I’ll think on that, too. You be well, Oliver.”

“You, too.”

Thea’s Loft

May 16, 2015

Oliver was closing his bag. All of the clothes he was planning on taking with him were in that bag, the rest could be thrown out or given away. He heard Malcolm Merlyn downstairs talking to Thea and knew it was time. Walking down the stairs, he dropped the bag and walked over to his sister.

“Are you sure you really want to do this?” Thea asked.

“As sure as I was the last five times you asked me,” Oliver replied. “Be safe out there, OK?”

“As safe as anyone with a mask on can be. But actually, I was thinking, um, maybe I’ll call myself the Red Arrow?”

“I think I already told everyone to call you Speedy.”

With that, the two siblings shared a hug before Oliver walked over to Malcolm. The warmth that Oliver had previously exhibited seemed to evaporate with each step, something that the older man noticed. However, he was still confident that Oliver’s naivety would see him achieve what he had long desired. Oliver would hand over the League never guessing that everything that had happened had all been part of his master plan, nor that Oliver was now bound to the League for the rest of his days and that Malcolm would make use of that when the time was right.

“We’ve come a long way, you and I. I’ve always looked at you as a son, Oliver. And I’m glad we got to work together, to trust as we did,” Malcolm stated.

“I will never forgive you for what you did to Sara. And my sister. Ever,” Oliver told him, his voice taking on a harsher tone with each word.

“Does that mean we’re enemies once more?”

Oliver looked into the face of a man who had had many roles in his life. His best friend’s father, a surrogate uncle and his most bitter enemy. He thought of all the suffering he’d personally endured because of this one man, the sinking of the Gambit, which had led to the death of his father and trapped he and Sara in hell for five years. The time on Lian Yu leading to his meeting Slade and Sara meeting Ivo, Ivo then coming to Lian Yu searching for the Mirakuru. Slade being injured in the fight against Ivo, which led to them using the Mirakuru on him. Ivo murdering Shado, causing Slade to snap and his rage leading him to blame Oliver for Shado’s death, for choosing Sara over the other woman. Slade not seeing or not caring that if Ivo had pointed the gun first at Shado, Oliver would have jumped in front of her and it would have been Sara who died. Slade’s thirst for vengeance against Oliver leading the man to Starling City, where he’d infected Roy with the Mirakuru, terrorized Thea and ultimately killed Oliver’s mother in from of him and Thea. Then there was the Undertaking and Tommy’s death.

Thinking about all of that, Oliver let the knife slip down the sleeve of his jacket and into his hand. He hoped that Thea would forgive him for what he was about to do was his last thought before he stabbed Malcolm in the stomach with all of his strength, twisting the blade once it was in. A shocked gasp was all he heard, which turned to a scream as Oliver ripped the knife upward and opened the older man from virtually navel to sternum before he pulled the knife out. He then stabbed again, this time aiming for Malcolm’s heart. Malcolm collapsed to his knees, the light starting to fade from his eyes.

“Forgive and have mercy on him. Protect him from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the Fire,” Oliver said in Arabic.

“Ollie,” Thea said softly from behind him. As he turned, he heard a trio of assassins land on the balcony and enter the room.

“What are your orders, my lord?”

“Remove the body and any evidence that anything happened here. Bury him next to his wife and son.”

The figure bowed, even though Oliver had not turned. The trio worked quickly and were gone only moments later. During that time, Oliver led Thea to the couch and sat down next to her. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Malcolm was behind this whole thing, Thea. He used you to pit me against the League,” Oliver said.

“I know, Ollie. My killing Sara gave him the leverage to force you to fight Ra’s the first time,” Thea said.

“There was more to it than that. I think Malcolm knew I would fail and that I would die. When I didn’t, it gave him an even better opportunity. If I had defeated Ra’s in that first fight, it would have left the League with a power vacuum. Because while Nyssa was Heir in name, the League is old school enough that a woman, even once as skilled and smart as Nyssa, would not have been viewed favorably as leader. I believe Malcolm intended to try to use this to create a power struggle in the League and hopefully take over.”

“But, then I survived and fulfilled a League prophesy. ‘The man who survives the sword of Ra’s al Ghul shall become Ra’s al Ghul.’ Malcolm knew that Ra’s would come for me, to force me to become his successor, and Malcolm knew that I wouldn’t want that. So, he offered his help in training you and I so that we could defeat Ra’s. His price was that when I won and was about to become Ra’s, I hand the title over to Malcolm,” Oliver told her.

“And Ra’s stabbing me to force you to choose between saving my life and staying free of the League? Roy being forced to confess to being the Arrow and being murdered in prison? You’re saying this was all part of Malcolm’s plot?”

“You getting stabbed probably wasn’t. I think Malcolm was expecting Ra’s to go after Felicity, not you. As for Roy, I think Malcolm viewed him as a pawn, one he was happy to sacrifice to further his own agenda. I also think that there was more.”

“More what?” Thea asked.

“I think Malcolm didn’t just want the League, he wanted me out of the way. He knew that for me to become Ra’s successor, I would have to join the League. And once you join the League, there are only two ways to leave it: either you die or Ra’s releases you. So, if I killed Ra’s and then handed the title and the ring over to Malcolm so that he could become Ra’s, I think Malcolm would have forced me to honor my pledge of loyalty to the League,” Oliver said. “And if I tried to run, he would use you, Felicity, Dig, Laurel and this city to force me to return or watch them suffer. He may even have forced me to watch by his side as he cleansed Starling City, just as he intended to do with the Undertaking. Except now, he would have the resources of the League to aid in his quest.”

Thea just looked at her brother for a long moment, processing everything that he had just told her. She knew Malcolm was evil just from what he had forced her to do, but this, this was a whole new level. She didn’t doubt what Oliver was telling her at all, though she was having a little trouble wrapping her head around it all. She also sensed that there was more going on here that he wasn’t telling her yet, she just didn’t know what it might be.

Oliver gave her time and when she didn’t say anything, he leaned over and gave her a hug, kissed her cheek and walked away. Picking up his bag, he left the loft and went down to the parking garage. After strapping the soft-sided bag to the back of his Ducati, Oliver climbed on and drove away. He didn’t have a destination in mind as he pointed the bike out of town, not even caring about the direction. The gas tank was full and the night was clear, as Oliver settled in to enjoy the ride. That all changed as he reached the city limits. A line of four assassins appeared on the road in front of him. Bringing the Ducati to a stop, Oliver stepped off the bike and approached them.

“Al Sah-him, Nyssa al Ghul requests that you meet with her,” one of the assassins told him.

Oliver almost smiled to himself, before remembering that he needed to maintain the stoic mask of al Sah-him. He’d known that this couldn’t be avoided, but had hoped to at least delay things until he could figure out the path he wanted. As he’d told his former team, he couldn’t be the Arrow anymore. He no longer had that, nor did he have anything as Oliver Queen, not here in Starling City anyways. There were things inside of him, fighting for control. The part that wanted peace and the part that knew there was evil in the world and that he was uniquely suited to fight it. The one thing both of those parts had completely agreed on had been killing Malcolm. The part that wanted peace knew it could never be found as long as the other man still breathed, while the other side of him knew just how much of a threat Malcolm could be and knew it needed to be eliminated.

“Take me to her,” Oliver finally said.

A moment later, a black SUV appeared and Oliver got into the back. One of the assassins rode his Ducati, following along behind the SUV as it went back into the city and to the League’s headquarters in Starling. The other assassins waited outside in the shadows as Oliver went into the building alone. He walked the brazer lit hall until he came to the same large area where he had meet Ra’s all of those months before. Nyssa stood in the middle, surrounded by a semi-circle of assassins. As one, they all knelt before Oliver as a murmured “Ra’s” filled the room.

“Rise,” Oliver said, all the coldness that had been evident in al Sah-him there in his voice. “Leave us. I wish to speak with my wife.”

“Husband,” Nyssa said, that same little smile on her face and almost flirty tone of voice she had used last night as she led the way from the chamber and outside. “The League awaits your ascension to Ra’s. We will need to return to Nanda Parbat for the ceremonies. I am glad my men stopped you before you left the city.”

“I won’t be ascending to Ra’s, Nyssa.”

“You have little choice. Remember what I told you, the only way to leave the League other than death is for Ra’s to release you. And no, to answer the question I’m sure that you have, you can not release yourself. To do so would leave the League leaderless and ripe to be taken over by any number of our enemies.”

Oliver almost brought up the fact that he didn’t kill anymore, until he remembered that he had just killed Malcolm. Yes, it was justified, but a part of him regretted having to do it. He remembered Nyssa’s disdain with regards to his unwillingness to do all that was necessary to save his city.

“What if I handed the League over to you?” Oliver asked, knowing that Nyssa had been Heir before Ra’s had turned his sights onto him.

“While I would certainly welcome it, I fear that my time has passed. The last few weeks have undermined a good deal of the standing I have in the League. My seeming desertion to go to Starling City, my father having you drag me back as a virtual prisoner and then forcing me to marry you. These are all things that count against me. With time, I could repair the damage done, but time is something neither of us has,” Nyssa told him, as she looked out at the city from the rooftop.

“And what if I can’t order killings, the way your father was able to?”

“The League exists to serve the will of Ra’s al Ghul. If you choose not to order evil to be replaced with death, your will be done. Still, I think with time, you will come to see that sometimes, taking a life or several helps save many fold more lives.”

Oliver almost smiled at that, thinking of a different time. He, Felicity and Dig were in the lair and Oliver had made the mistake of admitting he’d never really watched either Star Wars or Star Trek. This brought forth a rather lengthy, even by Felicity standards, exposition on why Star Trek was better than Star Wars, though she did like the Ewoks. But the thing that had stuck with him was about the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few or the one. Perhaps that is what he could do here, be willing to sacrifice himself, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. And by doing so, gift a better future for those he cared about.

“And what about us?” Oliver asked the one last thing on his mind. He had a certain respect for Nyssa and hatted the fact that she had been forced into a loveless marriage to him.

“What about us? I am now Bride of the Demon, you are my husband. You heard the Priestess during the ceremony. ‘There is no vow more sacred, nor covenant more holy than the one between man and woman. With this ceremony, your souls are bound, forever joined.’ There is no divorce or annulment of this marriage. As far as the League is concerned, it is until death,” Nyssa said.

“I am sorry, Nyssa. This is my fault.”

“No, it is not. My father looked on my desires, my love of Sara, as a perversion. He had long desired an Heir of his blood. If it had not been you, it would have been another, someone who doesn’t share your sense of honor nor your memories of Sara. At least we will have that in common.”

Oliver turned from Nyssa and looked out at Starling City. The city he had spent the better part of 3 years protecting. He hoped that Dig would come around, because Thea, Laurel and Felicity were going to need help if they did continue being heroes. He also took a moment to remember those he had lost along the way. Of them, he believed that Sara would have been the only one to understand his choice.

“Gather our men. We return to Nanda Parbat,” Oliver said.


	2. Everything Comes With A Price

Nanda Parbat

November 3, 2015

Two figures stood in the center of the room, their robes almost identical except in the trim. One was a dark red, while the other was dark green and gold. In a circle around them were two dozen assassins. All of them were armed with swords, except for the taller of the two figures in the center. At a nod, the ring attacked, yet the lopsided nature of the fight was evident from the beginning. In a matter of moments, the fight was over. Looking down at the fallen, the pair still standing removed their hoods and masks revealing Nyssa and Oliver.

“That was most enjoyable, Husband. Your skills continue to impress,” Nyssa said with a smile.

“Have their wounds treated and then work with them on fighting as a group. There were too many times where they were actually aiding us by getting in each other’s way,” Oliver told the assassin who was standing near the doorway.

“As you command, my lord.”

Oliver and Nyssa left the training room and walked through the halls until they reached the family wing of Nanda Parbat, the home of Ra’s and his most trusted advisors. Oliver had become used to the bowing every time he passed, but he still didn’t enjoy it. He was pleased that the tension that had existed in the first month of his reign was now largely a thing of the past. There had been those who didn’t like the fact that a relative outsider was now their leader. Not that they disputed his right, as there had been several witnesses to his fight against his predecessor, all of whom saw the man die. Still, Oliver had silenced them by not making any big changes, by keeping to the traditions of the League and by listening to Nyssa.

Nyssa had been a rock for him. Her knowledge of the League had been critical in his first days as Ra’s. It was she who had guided him through the ceremonies relating to his ascension, as well as acting a voice of wisdom making sure he didn’t go too far too fast. For all intents and purposes, she was running the day to day of the League, while he dealt more with the future. When they disagreed, he listened to all she had to say, learning to trust her judgment. The only issue that they hadn’t been able to agree on and which they had tabled until later was the matter of his heir. Nyssa felt that he should name one as soon as possible, in order to protect the League and had even offered three members of the League that she felt would be good choices. Oliver had wanted it to be her and when informed that that was not possible, given that she was Bride of the Demon, he had shown his stubborn streak and dug his heels in.

Once they were in their suite of rooms, they went their separate ways for the moment. Nyssa took some clothes and went into the bathroom, while Oliver went behind a set of bookshelves where he’d fashioned a small area to read or think. Here he changed quickly into a blue shirt and jeans before going back into the main room and taking his seat in the leather armchair. A folder he’d been reading earlier was on the small table next to it, so he picked that up to read while he waited for Nyssa to rejoin him. Nyssa came back a few moments later, now dressed in a multicolored blouse and black slacks. Taking a seat on the couch, she waited for Oliver to finish reading.

“I’m glad that you are back,” Oliver said as he closed the folder and put it aside.

“My trip was very profitable. Two human trafficking rings have been destroyed, with over two hundred people freed and we have the records as well. I have four teams of assassins going down the lists and believe we may be able to locate and rescue several thousand others,” Nyssa told him, a smile on her face.

“What else?”

“One of the rings had a group in Starling City. Our men were just finishing up when they encountered Laurel and your sister. Based on their reports, I made a stop there on my way home.”

Oliver looked at Nyssa sharply. In the last six months, he had left Nanda Parbat several times. He had never gone closer to Starling City than a brief stop in Central City. He had called his sister several times, yet between the time difference and whatnot, they hadn’t been able to speak at length. Now, looking at Nyssa, he sensed that something was wrong. She looked similar to how she had when she found out about Sara. It was less deep, but there was a definite sadness there.

“What’s wrong, Nyssa?” Oliver asked gently.

“It is your sister, Oliver,” Nyssa said softly. “She is suffering the effects of the Lazarus Pit. When I was in Starling City, I followed her and Laurel one night. They were questioning a man, trying to find the source of a drug. The man was not answering Laurel’s questions, so Thea stepped in and broke the man’s arm, nearly tearing it from his shoulder with the force she used.”

“And this is because of the Lazarus Pit?”

“It is the blood lust. Your sister was near death when my father put her in the Pit. The Pit healed her, but at a terrible cost, one that is now making itself known to her. The Pit gives life, but a balance must be maintained. Thea will need to kill, to replace the balance. If she does not, then it will take that life from her and she will die. After everything that I saw, I visited Laurel, so that I could tell her. Laurel then asked me for the impossible, that we use the Pit to bring Sara back from the dead. When I told her I would not assist in such an endeavor, she demanded to speak with Ra’s, to ask him for this.”

“Does she know that I am Ra’s?” Oliver asked, searching Nyssa’s face.

“No, the false trail that you have laid has been effective,” Nyssa told him with a smile.

It had been one of the first things Oliver had done as Ra’s and he almost laughed at how easy it had been to accomplish. The League might be a little old fashioned, but not in the places where it really mattered. There was a state of the art communication system in Nanda Parbat and a room full of computer equipment that would have had Felicity dying to get her hands on it. So, it had been simple to pair up two phones. Oliver had the one and when he made a call, it went first to the other cell phone and then was forwarded to the dialed number. The person on the other end of the call only saw the number of the second phone, which was in the possession of a League member. Clear orders had been given that the phone was not to come with five hundred miles of Nanda Parbat. If it was necessary for the member to return, they first met up with another member of the League and handed off the phone.

Oliver then thought about the information that Nyssa had given him. He wished he had known about Thea before this, had known that she was dealing with this. Yes, he was now Ra’s and as the head of the League, he was supposed to have left his former life behind. That was part of the reason he’d avoided Starling City when he left Nanda Parbat, thinking that distance and time would help him create his new life here. The one thing from that former life he couldn’t cut out was Thea, because she was and always would be his sister. He would always have a need to take care of her, protect her.

Oliver also thought about Sara. Given what Nyssa had just told him about Thea, did he want to subject Sara to the Pit? Or would it be better just to allow her to rest in peace? He knew Nyssa loved her, as did he. There was a part of him that wanted to do it, wanted his friend, his lover back. That wanted to give Nyssa more time with her Beloved as some form of recompense for all her father had done to her. The decision was not one that he would easily arrive at, nor would it be one he would make alone.

“Do you know of any possible cures for the blood lust, Nyssa?”

“There is one. It is called the Lotus, a rare elixir found in Japan. It is guarded by a group called the Crescent Order. The League and the Order have been foes in the past and it is not likely that the Order would give up the Lotus to the League, as they know the dangers of the Lazarus Pit. They believe that the power of the Pit should be used sparingly, if at all. It was a view my father did not hold to, especially as time passed and his use of the Pit became more frequent, bringing with it a greater degree of cruelty and madness.”

“We will still need to try, to somehow convince the Order that there is honor in what we seek,” Oliver told her. “We will leave for Japan in the next few days, after we come up with a plan to both obtain the Lotus and convince my former team to give the cure to Thea. We will also need a plan to deal with the other issue by that time.”

“Laurel and her request?”

“Yes. There is a part of me that wants their friend back. That misses her laugh, her smile, her spirit. But there is also that part of me that remembers Sara fleeing the League because she couldn’t take what she had done. I think of that and ask what right do I have to bring her back only for her to be trapped into that life once more, driven to kill because of the blood lust.”

“Also, Sara is dead. The Pit wasn’t meant to be used on the dead, but rather those injured or near death. I do not know if it would even work. If it did, what came out of the Pit might not be the Sara that we remember. That is why I told Laurel that her request was impossible,” Nyssa told him.

“What do you mean by ‘what came out of the Pit might not be the Sara that we remember’?” Oliver asked.

“Sara’s soul is no longer in that body, Oliver. If we were to put her body in the Pit and by some miracle it did come back to life, Sara, our Sara, would not be there. It would be more of a wild animal. It would take the work of a Priestess or Shaman to possibly restore her soul to her, if such a thing were even possible.”

Oliver closed his eyes and leaned forward in the chair, resting his forearms on his thighs. Nyssa had come to recognize this as the pose he took when he was wrestling with a difficult decision. So, she got up from the couch and walked over to the bookshelves, selecting a book Oliver had bought on one of his trips. Since coming to Nanda Parbat, he had taken an interest in broadening his education. First, he’d read books from the League’s library, learning the history of the League and the teachings of some of the previous Ra’s al Ghul’s. He’d come to learn that her father had twisted those teachings for his own purposes. That had been the day he’d taken her aside and made her swear that if he headed down a similar path, she would not hesitate to do whatever it took to stop him.

Nyssa completed the book, all the while Oliver remained as he had been when she started reading. Night had fallen and she had gotten up to light the torches and the brazer that served to keep the rooms warm during the winter’s night. Yet, he remained deep in thought, so still that if it had not been for the rise and fall of his chest, she might have been concerned he had died. It was only when one of the servants brought in dinner that he had stirred, eating the meal of lamb and rice before settling back into his previous position.

“I may have an idea for how we could help Sara, if we decided to try and bring her back with the Pit. I’ll need to make a call in the morning.”

“A call to whom?” Nyssa asked.

“While I was on Lian Yu, I once met a man by the name of John Constantine. He was very skilled with magic and the occult. If anyone might have an idea of how to get Sara’s soul back into her body, it would be him,” Oliver said, looking at Nyssa and catching the hurt in her eyes. “I’m not saying we’re going to do this, just that before we make any decisions, we should have as many facts as possible.”

“I would like to listen to what this man has to say.”

“We’ll call him in the morning, then. The both of us.”

Nanda Parbat

November 4, 2015

Oliver and Nyssa had both awoken early. This was so that they could eat breakfast and then call John Constantine before it was time for the daily training to begin. They both liked to observe and even take part in the training of the new recruits. They would also spend some time sparring with the more experienced League members, so that they could maintain their skills.

“How will you know what time to call him?” Nyssa asked.

“John travels a lot, so any time is as good as any other since I’ve got no idea where he is right now,” Oliver told her as he picked up the phone and dialed a number before putting the phone on speaker.

“Oliver.”

“John.”

“It’s been a dog’s age, mate,” Constantine said.

“More than. Remember that favor you owe me?” Oliver asked.

“I hardly expect you to let me forget about that.”

“I need some information and I may need your help.”

“The information is free. What do you need to know?” Constantine asked.

“I have a friend, a very good friend and she was killed last year. I have found a way to bring her back to life, maybe, but I’ve also been told she might not be her if I was to do this,” Oliver explained.

“Whoever told you that is right, mate. Bringing someone back from the dead is tricky stuff and the longer someone is dead, the trickier it gets. If you were to succeed in bringing the body back, you would still need to get her soul back into that body. That would require a Restitutionem, the restoration of her soul to her body.”

“And you have done such a Restitutionem, Mister Constantine?” Nyssa asked.

“Once, maybe a year ago. But don’t worry, love, it’s just like riding a bike,” Constantine told her.

“How long would it take you to get what you need and be prepared to perform the Restitutionem, John?” Oliver asked.

“If you can give me a couple of days, I can be in Nanda Parbat with everything I need.”

“I’m not even going to ask how you know I’m in Nanda Parbat, John.”

“Are you confident that this will work, Mister Constantine? I have lost Sara once already. I don’t think I could bare losing her again.”

“I am very confident, love,” Constantine said. “Beside, I owe Oliver and I have no intention of letting him down. I’ll see you all in a couple of days.”

Oliver had to fight not to laugh when the phone clicked off. Nyssa was looking at the phone in annoyance. She was also, Oliver noticed, looking anywhere by at him.

“Nyssa, talk to me, please,” Oliver said softly. “If you are against this, if you think this is wrong, tell me. I will call John and tell him that we have reconsidered. Sara was your Beloved and I will not disrespect that, nor you or her memory. This decision had to be unanimous. We already know Laurel’s thoughts, she wants her sister back. And I am pretty sure their father feels the same.”

“I don’t know, Oliver,” Nyssa said. “I trust Mister Constantine believes what he is saying, I trust your faith in the man, but I also know the Pit gave my father a long life, longer than what was natural, and much longer than he deserved. But he paid a dark price for it. A price Thea is paying now. I wouldn’t wish it on my most bitter enemy, let alone my Beloved.”

Oliver stayed silent knowing that Nyssa needed to process this on her own. He couldn’t and wouldn’t tell her how to feel about this, nor what she should think. In truth, he was also uncertain. Not because he didn’t believe that John could do what he had said he could, he’d certainly seen some strange things when he’d helped John. No, what he was uncertain about was whether Sara, if they did this and if John succeeded in restoring her soul, would also experience the same blood lust that Nyssa reported his sister was going through. What was worse was that it would not be him or Laurel or Nyssa that would be forced to pay the price, it would be Sara herself. And there was no way to ask her opinion on what they were purposing to do.

“We need to go to Japan. We will need as much of the Lotus as we can acquire. I will not decide on this until we have done that, for without it there is no hope for either Sara or Thea.”

Kyushu, Japan

November 4, 2015

Nyssa, Oliver and an assassin named Talibah walked through the forest, following a well worn path. They had only the light of the moon to go by, yet all were adapt at moving in darkness. When they had prepared to leave Nanda Parbat, they had discussed whether they should bring more assassins. Oliver had persuaded Nyssa that taking more men with them might be seen as a desire for conflict. They would need to gain the Lotus not by fighting, but by talking if at all possible.

“This is it,” Nyssa said as they came to a small clearing, an ornate lantern on one side of the path.

“I see no shrine,” Talibah said.

“The woods are the shrine, Talibah. In times long past, the people of Japan found their Gods in all things. Nature was their temple.”

Nyssa began to kneel at a wooden arch, the symbol of the Shinto shrine. Oliver and Talibah were quick to follow suit. All three acknowledged that while this was not the god that they worshiped, such as it were, it was the god of the people that they came to meet and it was only right to show their respect.

“Wait for us here, Talibah. This is something we must do on our own,” Oliver said, then he and Nyssa entered the shrine.

A short walk later, they reached a small building. Similar ornate lanterns surrounded the perimeter of the clearing it sat in. Inside the building, candles were lit. A figure knelt before the structure, in prayer perhaps, Oliver wondered.

“Are you lost?” came a voice in Japanese, soft but easily understandable to Oliver. It also brought a smile of remembrance, for he knew that voice.

“No. we have found what we seek,” Nyssa replied in kind, causing the figure to turn.

“Hello, Tatsu,” Oliver said, “You look well. Being a member of the Crescent Order clearly suits you.”

“I have found my purpose. What is yours in Japan?”

“We have come for the Lotus.”

“It is my responsibility to keep it safe,” Tatsu said.

“I know,” Oliver told her, “but I ask that you hear what I have to say. Please, Tatsu.”

Looking at the pair, neither of whom had made any move for a weapon, Tatsu nodded. The three of them took seats on the ground, facing each other. Nyssa remained silent now, knowing that Oliver had the better chance of reaching the other woman.

“The last time we met, you know I was fighting against the League of Assassins.”

“And now you are here in the garb of the League, accompanied by Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter.”

“Actually, she is now Ra’s al Ghul’s wife. My wife,” Oliver said. “Ra’s was cunning and manipulative. He eventually did the one thing that forced me to join the League, he stabbed my sister with a sword. The only way to save her was the Lazarus Pit. What he didn’t tell me was the cost that using the pit on her would entail.”

“Your sister is suffering from the blood lust,” Tatsu said, knowing instantly.

“Yes, but that is not the only reason we seek the Lotus. The reason I was fighting against the League was because of Malcolm Merlyn. He was wanted by the League for violating their code, so he drugged my sister, his daughter, and training her to use a bow. He then had her kill a member of the League, a good friend of ours and Nyssa’s Beloved.”

“How did this friend end up in the League, Oliver?”

“She was with me on the Queen’s Gambit when we were shipwrecked. We got separated and while I was found by ARGUS, she was found by Nyssa. I need to right the wrongs that were done by myself and others to Sara and to her family,” Oliver told her.

“And you are intending to use the Lazarus Pit to resurrect this woman? How to you intend to make her whole, for the woman that would come out of the Pit would be this Sara in body only,” Tatsu replied. “She would be feral, little better than a wild animal. Can you truly wish this on your friend?”

“No, I do not. And if I did not have someone who is confident that he can restore Sara’s soul to her body, I would not even consider it. But even if this person is right and he can, she would still suffer from the same blood lust, if not worse, that my sister is going through. I will not inflict that on Sara, which means that without the Lotus elixir, I can not proceed.”

“And if I was willing to give you the elixir, but only enough for one person, what would you do then?”

Oliver went silent at that, wondering if this was so form of test. He knew what he immediate response was, that he would use it to help his sister. But was that the voice of reason speaking or was it because Thea was his sister, his only surviving family and he wasn’t willing to lose that. But could he so quickly cast this one hope for Sara aside.

“I would use it to save my sister. Not because my sister means more to me than Sara, but because Sara is already dead. Thea will die without the Lotus, unless she becomes a killer, curbing the blood lust by taking the lives of others. If I use the elixir on Thea and cure her, Sara would still be just as dead. If I use it for Sara, I may bring Sara back but at the price of condemning Thea to a life of killing or her own death,” Oliver said, his tone steady throughout.

“Indeed, Oliver. I am glad to see you are thinking with your head and not your heart. Wait here,” Tatsu said as she stood up and left the clearing. Nyssa and Oliver both stood and faced the small shrine. Ten minutes later, Tatsu came back, followed by an old man. Oliver and Nyssa both bowed to the man, who returned the gesture before reaching into his robes and pulling out two bottles filled with a blue liquid.

“This is the Lotus, enough for the two women you wish to save,” the man said, handing them over to Oliver. “Tatsu had spoken highly of you, as a man of honor. I trust you will take a polite word of caution from an old man. Now that you are aware of the price that the Pit exacts, exercise extreme caution in its future use. The Crescent Order will not provide future quantities of the Lotus to the League, Ra’s a Ghul.”

“I understand, sir. I am indebted to the Crescent Order. If the Order ever requires it, the League is at your service.”

The four exchanged bows, then the old man went back the way he had come. Tatsu resumed her vigil before the shrine, while Oliver and Nyssa returned to where they had left Talibah. Motioning the woman to silence, the group left the area around the shrine. The walk back to their vehicle seemed quicker than their journey to the shrine, but whether that was perception or if they had actually increased their pace was unknown. What was known was that soon they were at the airfield, where the plane that they had arrived in was waiting for them.

Talibah was the first to exit the vehicle. She made her way to the plane, almost reaching the stairs before realizing that Nyssa and Ra’s were not following her. She turned back to see that Ra’s was still seated in the vehicle, while Nyssa was outside and now kneeling next to his door’s window. There were several minutes of conversation between the pair before Nyssa stood and walked towards the plane.

“Get onboard, Talibah,” Nyssa said.

“Is Ra’s not joining us for the next part of the journey?” Talibah asked.

“No. There are preparations he must make in Nanda Parbat. Our orders are to provide the elixir to Thea Queen and to procure the remains of Ta-er al-Sahfer. The easiest way to accomplish this will be by me distracting those who might take notice by giving them the elixir while you and some of our members in Starling City retrieve the remains from her grave.”

“It will be as you say, Nyssa.”


	3. Roll the Stone Away

Starling City

November 5, 2015

Spartan, Speedy and Black Canary were out patrolling the streets. The criminal element in Starling had realized that the Arrow was no longer around, so they were starting to get back to the way things were before the vigilante was around. They weren’t as afraid of the others as they had been of him. The trio was trying, but at best they were in a holding action. At worst, they were in danger of losing the city to the criminals.

Dig was the one that spotted them first, not that they were trying too hard to remain hidden. Taking the small camera that Felicity had given to each of them, he started taking pictures. As he did, they were transmitted to the lair so that Felicity could run facial recognition and hopefully identify all the players. He also let Thea and Laurel know where he was and that he would need backup. There were definitely too many for him to even consider going it alone. He had stopped counting once he hit twenty.

“Well, that looks like fun,” Thea said from behind John, startling him a little.

“Any ideas, John?” Laurel asked.

“You and me on the ground, Thea up high taking down who she can with her bow. Thea, try to get the leaders first, see if we can’t cut the head off the snake.”

Thea took up her bow and aimed, shooting out a grapnel arrow to get her up to the rooftops. She moved a couple of buildings over, so that she had the best angle she could on the group down below. Once she was in position, she aimed an arrow at the group and let the others know she was ready. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dig and Laurel break cover and charge at the group. Thea released the arrow, grabbed another from her quiver and repeated the process. She had gotten four arrows into gang members by the time her partners were engaged.

Dig and Laurel were fighting, up close and personal. Dig had a pair of batons as well as his pistol, while Laurel had her tonfa. The pair worked well together, watching each others backs as they took down the gang members. Yet, it was hard work, as some of their opponents would be back on their feet after a moment. Still, they fought on and eventually won. Two large vans full of drugs were now off the streets and the city would be able to confiscate over a million dollars, making it two very big wins as far as the team was concerned.

They were just about to leave when a shadow stepped away from the wall. Dig had his pistol out and aimed swiftly, while Thea knocked an arrow. The only one who didn’t was Laurel, as she looked at the person who was clearly a member of the League. As she looked, the little details hit her. From the other person’s size, the way they stood and the accents on their uniform. She hoped she was right, as she took a step forward to the surprise of her teammates.

“Hello, Laurel,” Nyssa said.

“Nyssa?” Laurel half asked, half stated.

Nyssa lowered her mask and her hood, revealing herself. This got Thea to relax her bow and return the arrow to her quiver. John, on the other hand, only lowered his pistol. After everything that happened, he wasn’t exactly sure what to think about the woman.

“I mean you no harm, Mister Diggle.”

“Why are you here, then?” John asked.

“It is a somewhat lengthy conversation. One that would be better suited for somewhere else at the moment, I believe,” Nyssa told him.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you knowing where the lair is.”

“In a sub-basement under Palmer Technologies.”

“I didn’t tell her,” Laurel said when John looked at her.

“Mister Diggle, what made my father so dangerous wasn’t his skills at combat. It was all of the knowledge that the League has acquired and is still acquiring. Knowledge is true power, as my father’s successor knows well. Now, please,” Nyssa said.

With that, the four got into the van and drove away. Dig took a few precautions to make sure no one was following them, before making his way to the garage area of Palmer Technologies and the lair. A ramp led down to a parking area, hidden behind a steel door. Felicity had seen the van enter the parking area and opened the door before they got there, closing it after the van had cleared. Felicity had also heard everything over their communications channel, so she was not surprised to see Nyssa. Once everyone was out of the van, they divided into two groups. The four members of the team stood by Felicity’s workstation, while Nyssa stood across from them.

“OK. Let me ask you again, why are you here?” John asked.

“It is the will of Ra’s al Ghul. He knows that in the fight between my father and Oliver Queen, innocents were harmed. He can not change that. He can, however, offer Miss Queen some assistance with the effects of the Pit that she is suffering. It is for this reason that I have been sent to Starling City.”

“What do you mean, effects of the Pit?”

“I was in Starling City last week, on my way back to Nanda Parbat. I had some time, so I was wandering the city when I came upon a fight. More accurately, a rather savage beating being delivered by my sister-in-law. I was somewhat stunned, not at that fact that she could fight, but by the shear ferocity of the attack. Yet, when she was done, she had an expression on her face that nearly broke my heart. She looked lost, horrified at what she had done. It was then that I realized she was suffering from blood lust, brought on by her being healed by the Pit.”

“When I returned to Nanda Parbat, I spoke with Ra’s al Ghul and advised him of what I had seen. I also told him about a cure for the blood lust, one my father had tried to obtain many times over the course of his life, often at great cost. My father always failed, because of a number of reasons. Ra’s agreed that we should attempt to obtain the elixir and right the wrong done. We were fortunate, when we arrived at the temple where it is kept, to find Tatsu there. Once we explained why we wanted the elixir and the connection to Oliver Queen, she spoke with her Order and was granted permission to give us enough to cure Miss Queen,” Nyssa told them, as she reached into her robes and removed a bottle of blue liquid.

“And you expect us to believe that some magic potion is going to cure this mythical ‘blood lust’ that you say Thea is suffering from? I mean, I’m blonde, but I’m not that blonde. Right, guys?” Felicity pointed out before looking at the others. Thea’s head was down, looking at her feet, while Laurel and Dig were both looking at Thea. “I mean, there’s no such thing as ‘blood lust’, is there?”

“Is what she saying true, Thea?” Dig asked, as he took the young woman in. The fact that she wouldn’t look at him, at any of them, worried him. So did the white knuckles as her hands gripped the edge of Felicity’s workstation as if it was the only thing keeping her from either dropping to the floor or launching herself at someone.

“It’s true. Ever since it happened, I could feel I was a little more aggressive, but it didn’t seem like something I couldn’t handle. Then it started getting worse. And that night, I suddenly couldn’t handle it anymore,” Thea said softly.

“You could have told us, any of us. We would have done whatever we could have to help you.”

Laurel stepped up to Thea and gathered her in a hug. She considered the youngest Queen a sister and had for a long time. When she and Oliver had been together and she used to think about their future together, one thing she’d hoped for was a close relationship with her sister-in-law. And since Oliver wasn’t here to help her, Laurel would take up that mantel.

“I trust her, Thea,” Laurel told her. “You can too.”

“So, how exactly does this work? Do I drink it?”

“No, you would take it intravenously. I am certain that you know people that could assist you with this,” Nyssa said, handing the bottle to Dig before approaching Thea and Laurel. “Be well, both of you. Until we meet again.”

With that, Nyssa turned and walked to the end of the lair, where a set of steps were. Dig gave a chuckle of amusement as Nyssa disappeared from sight. The woman had been both their enemy and their ally more than once, so he was still a little hesitant about what she had told them. Which was she actually now? Yet, Laurel had said that she trusted her and if what Nyssa and Thea had said was true, they could not let Thea’s condition get worse. So far, they could count themselves lucky that the young woman hadn’t killed anyone yet. But how long could that luck reasonably last?

“When do we want to do this, if we want to do this that is. Are we sure that we want to do this? I mean, don’t get me wrong, but we have no way of knowing that this is what she said it is. And even if it is, we have no way of testing that it will do what she claimed it will do. What if it makes things worse instead of better?”

“I say we do this and sooner rather than later. I understand what you’re saying, Felicity, but I’m scared that the next time this happens…. What if, one of you is with me and tries to stop me, so I lose it with you. What if I hurt or worse, what if I kill one of you because of this,” Thea said, the pain on her face revealing the inner torment that she was going through.

“Then we face it together, as a team. Because, we’re not going to let you go through this alone. And whatever you decide, we’ve got your back,” Dig told her, meaning every word. No matter what his issues with Oliver, there was no way that he was going to leave Thea to face this alone. At the same time, and for the first time since the night Oliver defeated Ra’s al Ghul, Dig found himself wishing that the other man was here. His sister would have the team, but he knew from experience that nothing replaced family in times like this.

Outside, Nyssa was on the rooftop of a neighboring building. She waited and watched for several minutes, to see if any of the members of team would try to follow her. Once she was satisfied, she moved off across the rooftops, keeping to a swift pace but also a circuitous route. She was getting close to where she had first encountered the team when she felt the cell phone she carried vibrate. Stopping in the shadows of an HVAC unit, she took out the phone, already guessing who it was.

“We have completed our task,” Talibah reported,

“And the site?” Nyssa asked.

“It has been restored as it was. Only the closest examination would reveal that it has been disturbed.”

“Very well. Proceed to the airplane and I will join you there. Once the package is secured, release the Shadows to return to their tasks.”

“Yes, Nyssa,” Talibah said before ending the call.

Nyssa turned the phone off, put it away and made her way to where she had left her car. Once there, she got behind the wheel and drove off towards the airport. Nyssa used the drive to steady herself for what lay ahead. By the time she arrived, she was as prepared as she could be. A figure stepped out of the shadows as she got out of the car, driving it away as she walked towards the plane that was waiting. Climbing inside, the rear ramp was closed and the plane began to taxi. Taking a seat, she looked at the plain wooden box that sat by itself in the middle of the cargo hold.

Once the aircraft had reached altitude, Nyssa got out of her seat and went to the box. Kneeling, she spent several moments in prayer. Only then did she lift the lid and stare down at the remains of her Beloved. She felt the sadness rise up within her once again, one that she had believed that she had put aside when she had accepted Sara’s death. Yet, looking at the body of her Beloved once again and it all came rushing back. So, with one final glance, she closed the box and began to pray once more. Only this time, it was not for Sara’s soul, but rather that what Oliver purposed was possible.

Nanda Parbat

November 7, 2015

Oliver stood in the great hall with John Constantine beside him. The Priestess and several members of the League, all of whom had been personally trained by the Priestess, were in another room preparing Sara’s body. Nyssa had gone with them, but to what purpose, Oliver did not know for certain. He suspected it was so that she would have to spend as little time around Constantine as possible. He gave himself a mental head shake, realizing that he should have better prepared Nyssa for meeting the man, who was something of an acquired taste.

Last night, the three of them had sat down and discussed how they would proceed. Obviously, the first task would be the resurrection, as the other two tasks didn’t matter if they failed at that. The sticking point had been whether to have Constantine perform the Restitutionem before or after they administered the Lotus. It wasn’t until Constantine told them that he believed the elixir would be most effective if Sara was made whole before it was administered that they finalized their plans.

A few handfuls of assassins, known to be loyal to Nyssa, had assisted in the tasks that needed to be completed. They had gathered everything that Constantine would need for the Restitutionem. They guarded a second room, where Constantine had made his preparations, after the Priestess flatly refused to permit them in the great hall. She had feared that some of the magic and symbols would thwart her own magic, which would be needed to successfully resurrect Sara. So, once they resurrected Sara, they would quickly move her to the second room for the Restitutionem and after that was completed, it would be on to the private wing of Ra’s al Ghul. There, a room had been set aside for Sara and a healer awaited to administer the Lotus elixir to Sara.

“Explain to me again, how is this going to work?”

“I have enough juice to take me, you and Nyssa to the other realm and back. You both need to understand, whatever has locked her soul away. It’s not going to give it over without a fight,” Constantine told him.

As he was saying that, Nyssa walked into the room. She looked a little off, not the confident Nyssa al Ghul that he had come to know these last six months. Oliver knew that this was weighing on her, so he stepped up to her.

“They are ready, Husband,” Nyssa said softly.

“Nyssa, look at me,” Oliver said just as softly. “It’s not too late. For you to say ‘Don’t do this’, ‘This isn’t what Sara would want’ or just ‘Stop’. I may be Ra’s al Ghul and my will may be all the reason needed for something to be done, but not with you. Never with you. You are my partner, my friend, my Wife. I will always listen to your thoughts, ideas, opinions. I may not always do what you want, but I will never ignore what you have to say.”

Nyssa felt something shift inside of her at those words. In all of her years with her father, she had never heard anything close to what this man had just said to her. And even if he didn’t say the word love, she felt it none the less. No, not the romantic love between a man and a woman, but more the love that the Christian scriptures spoke of. So, she would put her faith in that love and place her trust in this man.

“I will not lie and say I have no reservations about what we are about to attempt, Husband. But sometimes we have to put our trust in others, especially those we are wed to.”

“Thank you, Nyssa.”

At that, Nyssa left the room and a few moments later returned. She was followed by the Priestess and a group of assassins bearing Sara’s body on a wooden stretcher. The Priestess walked over to the Lazarus Pit and lit the candles that surrounded it, all the while offering prayers. Once that was done, the stretcher was set on the floor and ropes were fastened to each corner. As it was lifted into the air, chanting began from those assembled, as they joined the Priestess in her prayers. Slowly, the stretcher was moved over the Pit and then lowered into the bubbling waters. Once her body was fully submerged, the ends of the ropes were let go and the group all watched expectantly.

Oliver began to fear that they had failed. The waters had stopped bubbling as heavily, but nothing else seemed to be happening. Then, just as he was about to give up hope, something changed. The waters weren’t bubbling, but they were moving. A form was beginning to rise from them. First, all that he and the others could see was a bowed head with stringy, dirty blonde hair. As she rose, the costume of the Canary was revealed, the same outfit that Sara had been wearing when they buried her last year. But the look in her eyes, that wasn’t Sara at all. She leaped from the Pit with a cry, grunting as she landed. Her eyes were wild, almost crazed, as she whirled about like an animal looking for prey.

“Hold her,” Oliver called, bringing two of the assassins in the room to seize Sara, so that the Priestess could inject her with something to sedate her. Oliver couldn’t help catch the look on Nyssa’s face as she watched this, the pain and sadness that were there. All he could do was repeat to himself that this would work, it had to work.

Oliver lifted Sara into his arms and led the way to the second chamber. On the floor was something that he couldn’t even guess at, drawn there by Constantine. He remembered the instructions that he had been given and set her down in the middle of the diagram. Constantine took his place at Sara’s head, while Nyssa and Oliver stood by her sides. At a glance to one of the assassins, the others left the room save for the Priestess and two others. The doors were closed, with those outside having already been instructed not to open them for any reason.

“Remember. Whatever has locked her soul away, it’s not going to give it over without a fight. So be ready,” Constantine told them, as Nyssa and Oliver joined hands across Sara’s body. “All right then. On with the show.” With that, he knelt down and lit the mixture that he had prepared, then stood and began to pray. “Pelako ameso yobe eleggua imbone ukuchila panshita. De domino vestro, aliquis. Et stabit de domino vestro. Audite vocem meam. Ancor, ancor, candones helosi et vos eleutis phugori...”

At this, Sara gave a gasp and the room began to shake, the light from the torches flickering. Oliver and Nyssa both had their eyes closed, but the others in the room were looking around uncertainly.

“De cruinne-ce agus akasha seall me do solas!”

Sara screamed and Nyssa cried out, as suddenly they were no longer in the chamber that they had been in. This still looked like Nanda Parbat, but lighter, cleaner in some ways. Sara was no longer with them, either. Nyssa looked around in confusion.

“Well, I’ve had worse hangovers,” Constantine said with a grin.

“So, what are we supposed to do now,” Oliver asked.

“Help!” Sara cried from somewhere, getting Nyssa to run looking for her, the others following her. A second later and they were all back where the started.

“This is new.”

“Well, new is why you brought me along.”

They heard Sara call out again, but this time Constantine stopped Nyssa before she could run off.

“No, no, no, no.”

“Well, I’m not going to just stand here!”

“We need a tour guide,” Constantine said, as he took his lighter from his pocket and placed it on the ground. Waving his hand over it, as he recited, “Axis mundi, produco tuus vires.”

The lighter began to spin and rise from the floor. Oliver and Nyssa watched and waited until the lighter stopped and Constantine took it back in his hand.

“This way. Unless you want to be trapped here for all eternity,” Constantine told them, before leading the way. The others followed him into a room that resembled the great hall of Nanda Parbat. A pair white eyed assassins stood between them and the Pit, where Sara was.

“This is what locked away Sara’s soul?” Nyssa asked.

“How the human mind perceives it, anyway.”

The pair of assassins began to advance, as Sara cried once more for help. Oliver took down the assassins with his bow, then he and Nyssa ran to the Pit. Nyssa runs to the Pit to get Sara, while behind them another assassin came in through the door that they had entered through.

“Get to the Pit. You need to work together to get her out. I’ll take care of our new friend,” Constantine said.

Oliver jumped onto the edge of the Pit and reached in for Sara. The two of them worked to get her out, but something was fighting back from the waters themselves. Meanwhile, Constantine had snatched up a fallen sword and was trying to defend himself against the assassin. Trying being the operative word, as the man was mostly ducking and dodging to avoid the assassin’s blade.

“You know, any time today would be good.”

Constantine finally had to resort to his magic to keep from getting killed. He recited a spell that eventually froze the assassin in mid air, allowing him to run his sword through the man. As he was doing this, Oliver and Nyssa stood on the edge of the Pit. Reaching down, they got a firm grip on Sara and on the count of three, yanked her out of the Pit and all of them out of the other realm. A collective gasp passed through the trio that was standing as they all came back to themselves. Nyssa swayed slightly, as they all stumbled back from Sara, who was lying on the floor unconscious.

“Did we….” Nyssa started to say before seeing that Sara was still, her eyes closed. Then, her eyes opened, not the eyes that they had seen before, but Sara’s eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes and Nyssa wanted to cry, as she dropped down on her knees next to Sara, who was sitting up and looking around in confusion. Nyssa wrapped her arms around her Beloved, holding her to her. Constantine stood with a satisfied smile on his face, while Oliver looked on with happiness. Happiness that his friend was back, that Nyssa and Sara would have more time, that the Lances would have their daughter and sister back.

“Thank you, John. I owe you one,” Oliver told him, holding out his hand.

“I believe I owed you one, Mate,” Constantine replied. “How’s about we just call it even, eh?”

“How about any time, anywhere you need me, I’ll be there.”

“I’ll take that. Now, if there is nothing else, do you suppose you could get me a way to London?”

“Talibah, see to it,” Oliver said to one of the assassins in the room.

“Yes, my lord,” Talibah said, as she gestured for him to follow her.

As they left, Oliver looked back over at where Sara and Nyssa were. He was only slightly surprised to see the pair looking at him, Nyssa with a joy he had never seen before while Sara was a little dazed. He knelt down on the floor with them and pulled them both into a hug.

“Ollie,” Sara said, her mind not fully understanding what she was seeing. She had expected him in street clothes or even his Arrow costume, not in the robes of the League and certainly not in those marking him as Ra’s. Yet, all of the things were there, the Demon’s Head pendant, the rings, the look.

“Welcome back, Sara. We have a lot to talk about, I know. But for now, we need to get you to the healers, so that they can do their work as well.”

With that, Oliver lifted Sara bridal style and carried her from the room. In the halls, assassins backed up and bowed as they passed. Sara spent the journey to her room looking around at everything, as her mind started to put pieces back together and memories came to her. The room that she was taken to had been Nyssa’s when they had been together. Now, there were only a few vestiges of her there. Instead, the room looked to have been prepared for someone else. When she saw the bo that she used in training leaning against a standing wardrobe, Sara realized it was for her.

Oliver carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. When he stepped back, he motioned for the healer to come forward. The woman had an IV pole, with a bag of saline solution and a bottle of blue liquid hanging from it. Taking Sara’s arm, she found a vein and slid a needle in. Once the fluids were flowing, the healer taped down the needle to told it in place and cautioned Sara to lay still. Nyssa climbed onto the bed behind Sara and held her to her, talking softly to her Beloved. The healer took a chair by the door to the room, while Oliver settled into a seat next to the bed.

“Rest, Sara. We’ll be here when you wake,” Nyssa said, looking across at Oliver.


	4. Since You've Been Gone

Nanda Parbat

November 8, 2015

Sara opened her eyes to the sunlight streaming into the room. She was feeling confused, as she took in the bed that she way laying in and the room that she could see from the way she lay. She felt a warm body pressed to her back, an arm draped around her. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled a scent that both familiar and confusing. Sara turned over to her side and found Nyssa there, blue eyes meeting brown.

“Good morning, Beloved,” Nyssa said, as she pressed a kiss to Sara’s forehead.

“Is this a dream?” Sara asked.

“No, Beloved. This is very much real.”

“But I shouldn’t be here. I should be….”

“What is the last thing that you remember?” Nyssa asked.

“I was in Starling City. I had just seen my sister, before she had to go someplace. I was heading back to my safe house when I heard someone call to me. Then nothing until I woke up here,” Sara said.

“Then there is much we will have to tell you.”

“We? You mean your father? How did I get here from Starling?”

“Nyssa means her and myself, Sara,” Oliver said from the other side of the bed, causing Sara to bolt upright in shock, before she remembered what she thought was a dream. She was laying on the ground, Nyssa was holding her and Oliver was there too. But why would those two be together? As far as she remembered, they were more antagonistic than not.

“As I said, there is much we need to tell you,” Nyssa said. “Some of it will be hard to hear, but you need to in order to understand the way things are now. Since this is more his story than mine, I will let Oliver explain and will fill in where needed.”

“The voice that you heard was that of someone that was sent to kill you. They shot you with three arrows, then you fell off the roof of the building. I can’t say for certain if the arrows killed you, or if the fall did. What I do know is that you were dead. The team and I tried to find the person that did it, but ran into dead end after dead end. Then, Nyssa came to town and we learned that Malcolm was still alive. We found him and he told us that he hadn’t killed you. Nyssa didn’t believe him, but I did because he swore to me on Thea that he hadn’t done it.”

“Why would you have believed anything that Malcolm said after everything that he had done, Ollie? I know Thea’s your sister, but any promise of his is worthless and you should know it,” Sara said, feeling anger and disappointment mixing.

“I know,” Oliver said. “Nyssa left Starling afterward and told her father what she found, as well as that I had placed Malcolm under my protection while he was in the city. It was a mistake, which ultimately led to the League issuing an ultimatum. I had 48 hours to hand over the guilty party, or they would kill 50 people every day until I did so. The problem was, we found out who the guilty party was and who was behind it. Turns out Nyssa was right and wrong when she said Malcolm killed you.”

“What do you mean, Ollie? How can it be both? Either he did it or he didn’t?”

Oliver sighed. Even now, just the thought of what had happened was enough to bring the whole range of emotions flooding back. His rage at Malcolm for what he had done, his grief for Thea and what Malcolm had turned her into, the utter hopelessness of the situation once Malcolm had revealed everything to him. The masterstroke of the Magician, leaving Oliver with a choice that hadn’t been any choice at all. Just as Malcolm had known it wouldn’t be.

“Malcolm wasn’t the one to fire the arrow, he just created the instrument that did that actual killing. During Slade’s rampage through Starling, Thea was trying to leave on a train. She was at the train station when one of the soldiers attacked. Malcolm, for reasons that I’m sure were less born of love and more of her possible usefulness at some later time, rescued her. He ended up taking her to Corto Maltese and training her to fight, with a sword, a bow, her bare hands. He also was drugging her with Votura. He used it to get her to kill you and he recorded it, to use as leverage against me when the time was right. Malcolm told me if I didn’t want him to turn the recording over to the League, then I would confess that I had killed you. When I said that I would tell them that he had drugged her, that she didn’t know what she was doing, and that it was him that was responsible, Malcolm just smiled and said it wouldn’t matter. They would still hold Thea responsible, because she was still the one who fired the arrows.”

“So, I went before Nyssa’s father and confessed. I’m sure he knew I was lying,” Oliver said.

“He did,” Nyssa told him. “He had centuries of experience dealing with people. He knew as soon as you tried to confess. But it didn’t matter, because you had asked for a Trial by Combat. There was no way that he could back down from such a challenge, which al Sa-Her would have known. Also, I think my father saw it as a way to punish you for your refusal to yield to the will of Ra’s al Ghul.”

“Then how are you still alive? Don’t get me wrong, I know you’re a good fighter, Ollie. But Ra’s, he was many levels above Slade.”

“We fought and for a moment, it felt like I was going to win. But, I think he was just toying with me, because the next thing I knew, I was on the edge of a cliff on my knees as he drove a sword through my chest before kicking me off the cliff. I should have died then, but one of Ra’s horsemen was someone I had met while I was away. He found my body on a ledge and carried me to a cabin in the woods. His wife was there and between them, they managed to nurse me back to health. As I was recovering, I was also thinking about the next time. I knew that Ra’s would eventually discover I was alive and come for me. So, when I returned to Starling City, I knew that I would need to get better and the only way to do so was to have Malcolm train me.”

“What Oliver didn’t know about was a Prophesy where ‘He who survives the sword of Ra’s al Ghul shall become Ra’s al Ghul’. My father knew his time was slowly coming to an end and had decided that Oliver would make a worthy heir, once he had been trained. Or so he claimed, at least.”

“Thea finally confessed what had happened to Laurel, the guilt of what she’d done weighing on her. She informed the League of where Malcolm was so that Nyssa could capture him. In the process, we captured Nyssa. I didn’t want my sister to regret what she had done once she fully realized that she was aiding in the killing of her father, so Dig and I went to rescue him. It was a trap though, one designed so that I was here. Ra’s then made me the offer of joining the League. He freed Malcolm and Dig as a sign of good will. When I got back to Starling, we freed Nyssa and I took some time to think about Ra’s offer. I turned him down, for a number of reasons,” Oliver said.

“My father did not handle the rejection well. This should not surprise you, Sara. He then framed the Arrow for several murders, resulting in your father issuing an arrest warrant for the Arrow. He also told your father that Oliver was the Arrow and your father made that information public. This was my father’s way for forcing Oliver to cut his ties with his former life, with the League being his only option,” Nyssa said.

“He just didn’t count of the loyalty of the team. Roy turned himself in, claiming he was the Arrow. When they got into the lair, Felicity and Dig had already wiped everything down with Roy’s fingerprints being the only ones that they found. At this point, Ra’s decided that a more direct, personal approach was needed. So, he broke into the loft where Thea and I were living and attacked her. He ended up driving a sword through her chest, leaving her in the remnants of a broken coffee table bleeding out. We got her to the hospital, but the prognosis wasn’t good. Then, Ra’s got word to me that if I accepted his offer, I could use the Lazarus Pit to save my sister. I had no choice but to accept,” Oliver told her.

“The rest of the team was unhappy with the decision and tried to sneak me out of Nanda Parbat, but were stopped. I had to order them to leave me and take Thea home. What they didn’t know was that I was secretly working with Malcolm to stop the League, because we knew what the final act was for me to ascend to Ra’s. I would have to cleanse Starling City. We found out that Ra’s was planning to use a deadly virus as the instrument of this cleansing, one that I had encountered before. I also had been inoculated against the virus. Malcolm was able to use my blood and his contacts to get the antidote. He was then able to inoculate himself and the team, so that when they came to try to stop this they would be protected. The plan was to destroy the plane carrying it, but they failed. Ra’s then decided to test my loyalty one last time, by making me use a sample of the virus on them and then locking them in an airtight room. He also forced Nyssa to marry me, for some reason that likely only made sense to him.”

“We then flew to Starling on a plane that I had sabotaged. My intention was for the plane to crash, killing Ra’s and destroying the virus. Nyssa and I would unfortunately be casualties in accomplishing what I believed was necessary. We failed, with Ra’s jumping from the plane and us having to ride the burning plane down into a crash landing. With the help of the team and a lot of luck, we were able to stop Ra’s plan, though one of his men did managed to release some of the virus. While they were handling that, I went to face Ra’s. This time, I was able to defeat him by killing him and I told the ring. I had made a deal with Malcolm, in exchange for his help, I would make him Ra’s. If Nyssa and I hadn’t talked after the crash, his plan might have worked. But she made me see what a mistake that would be, so when it was time, I killed Malcolm instead,” Oliver told her.

“Oliver and I talked later that evening. I explained to him that he had little choice but to ascend to Ra’s. Whatever he might think, he was now a member of the League. Even if he didn’t become Ra’s, he could not leave. Nor could he turn the League over to me. I told him that he was not required to kill, that the will of Ra’s al Ghul guided the League. Over time, we have come to a more mutual understanding of when killing is necessary and when it is not.”

“Wow,” Sara said. “So, Ollie’s now Ra’s al Ghul and you’re now the Bride of the Demon. What can you tell me about Laurel and my dad?”

“They both grieve for you. Your death drove a wedge between them, though. Laurel, she was worried about your dad and his heart. So, when you were killed, she didn’t tell him. When he eventually found out, it made it all the worse that she had hidden it from him for months. I don’t know where things stand now, I haven’t seen your father since he arrested me and I’ve only talked to Laurel twice on the phone. No one on the team knows that I’m now Ra’s and I would like to keep it that way. The way things ended when I left, it wasn’t good. I burned a few bridges doing what I did and I don’t know if they can ever be rebuilt,” Oliver told her.

“So, Dig, Roy and Felicity think what?”

“That I’m traveling, trying to make peace with what I’ve become. I haven’t talked to Dig since the night I defeated Ra’s. I had had to kidnap Lyla in order to force a trade for Nyssa and when I did that, I left their baby daughter alone in their apartment. Dig blames me for that, for endangering his daughter, and I can’t say I completely disagree. Felicity and I have talked a handful of times, about how we’re doing, if I’m coming home, where I’m at and where I’m going next. I think at first, she was hoping I would be back, that we could try to move forward together. The last two times I talked to her, she let it slip that she’d dating again, with Ray Palmer. Ray bought Queen Consolidated and turned it into Palmer Technologies. Felicity is his Vice President, handling a good portion of the day to day running of the business. She sounded happy, which I’m glad about because she deserves to be happy. Roy was stabbed while he was in prison, seemingly killed, but it was all a ruse to get him out. He’s on the run, living somewhere under a new name that Felicity created for him. I hope wherever he is that he’s happy.”

Sara was silent after that, her mind trying to process all of the information that she had just been given. Nyssa and Oliver knew what she was facing, at least on an intellectual level. They had just told her in a matter of an hour or so, what they had experienced over the course of an entire year. If it had been overwhelming to them as they had gone through it, how must Sara be feeling?

A soft knock came at the door, followed by the entry of a pair of assassins. They brought with them two trays filled with food for their breakfast. Oliver pointed to the table near the balcony, silently directing that they lay everything out their. The three of them went to the table and took seats. There was oatmeal, fresh fruit, orange juice and coffee. Sara and Oliver each took bowls of oatmeal and some plums, while Nyssa ate some peaches and pears. Sara ate slowly, getting used to food again and wanting to see how her stomach would handle it.

“Why did you bring me back, Ollie?” Sara asked softly.

“There’s a lot of different reasons, Sara. Because I thought your death was unfair and that I was partial responsible for it. If you hadn’t been forced to go back to the League to get their assistance with Slade, you wouldn’t have been the one hunting him down. You wouldn’t have been Malcolm’s target because Ra’s wouldn’t have cared if you were killed. I also felt, after everything I had done to your family, that this was a way to right those wrongs. But more importantly, I missed my friend and Nyssa missed her Beloved, we both wanted you back,” Oliver told her.

“And Nyssa didn’t warn you about the Pit? About the damage that it can do to a person? How his continued use of it made Ra’s into what he was?”

“She did. We talked a lot about it before we decided to do it. We also found ways to prevent the negative effects of the Pit from harming you. We also needed a little extra help, because the Pit wasn’t intended to do what we were going to try. It would have restored your body, the physical being, but not your soul, your spirit, that part of you that makes you our Sara. For that, we needed someone who could restore your soul to your body. Nyssa would only agree once we had both of those things. Because both of us would have rather remembered you as you had been, than tried to bring you back and have you be some form of monster.”

“And who else knows?” Sara asked

“No one, for a pair of reasons. First, like I said, no one from our old life knows that I am Ra’s al Ghul and I intend to keep it that way. Second, we didn’t want to get their hopes up, only for us to fail or worse, have something go wrong,” Oliver told her.

“And the League? Am I still a member, or did my ‘death’ conclude that obligation?”

“If you’re asking if we will force you to stay, the answer is no. If you wish to go, you may do so with my blessing as Ra’s. I know, or at least I knew, that you were tired of killing. I don’t know if that changed since the last time we had an opportunity to really talk. I will say that if you wish to stay, I have an assignment in mind for you that would make use of your talents very nicely and I think you would enjoy it, as well. The only downside would be having to be away from here for extended periods of time.”

Both Nyssa and Sara were looking at him in confusion. Nyssa was also a little upset, as he had not said anything to her about a possible assignment for Ta-er al-Sahfer. She had hoped to have a little time to spend with her Beloved before a choice was required. Now it seemed like Oliver was forcing one.

“Why did you say nothing about this before?” Nyssa asked.

“Because it was something that occurred to me last night, after you and Sara fell asleep. For me, it solves two problems rather nicely and I thought Sara would be happy taking the assignment. But, seeing your reaction, I obviously missed something and I’m sorry,” Oliver told her.

“Can you tell me what the assignment is or do I need to agree to stay first?” Sara asked.

“No, Sara. The assignment is simple. I need someone to supervise the Shadows we left in Starling City. And I can think of no one I would trust more with that responsibility, because I am trusting you to watch over my sister as well. You’ll be able to spend some time with your family, as well. Though Laurel might be a little mad at Nyssa when she sees you. You will need to stay here for a little while, first, so that Nyssa and I can make sure you are ready.”

“There’s no way I can say no to that, which I think you knew when you thought it up.”

“I didn’t know, merely hoped,” was all Oliver said as he stood up. “I need to spend some time running the League and while I would usually ask Nyssa to assist me, I think her time would be better spent today with you. I will see you both for dinner.”

Starling City

November 8, 2015

Ray and Felicity were the first to begin applauding when Curtis Holt finished his presentation to the board of directors of Palmer Technologies, as well as a number of key investors. Holt’s power cell was going to be groundbreaking and it would help them compete against the likes of LexCorp and Wayne Enterprises. It would also be useful in a number of other projects that the company had on the drawing boards, projects that would be of great benefit to humanity if they could only figure out how to knock the price point down by about a factor of ten. As people began to leave, Felicity saw that everyone was stopping to congratulate Curtis on the presentation and the power cell itself.

Felicity was going to go over herself, except as she was turning her phone back on it started going crazy. Looking down, she saw a number of alerts. Two major banks were getting robbed, Dig and Thea were responding to one and needed her assistance. Felicity caught Ray’s eye and he nodded. While he wasn’t technically a part of the team, he not only knew about them, but their new lair was under the building and he was helping to finance them. Dig’s helmet came from Ray, as did some new trick arrows for Thea. He was even working on something for Laurel, but whatever it was, it was still on the drawing board. Beyond that, he hadn’t offered his help, nor had Dig asked for it.

Slipping out of the room, she made her way to a private elevator that took he down to the lair. Her workstation was online and waiting for her, because it was never offline. The monitors were works of art, not only large but also touchscreen. Felicity settled into her chair and got to work.

“OK, I’ve got them. Take a left on Adams and you’ll see them a block ahead of you.”

“Roger that,” Dig said as he caught sight of the street and turned. “I’ve got eyes on. Speedy, your location?”

“I’m ahead of them, I think. On the overpass. Keep them coming in this direction, I’m waiting for them,” Thea told him, just as she saw the van.

Thea knocked an explosive arrow and aimed, waiting for her window to fire. When she had it, she didn’t miss. The arrow hit the engine and exploded, instantly killing power and causing the van to slow to a halt. Dig brought his van to a stop behind it, while Thea used a line to descend from the overpass onto the street below. As they approached, the rear doors of the van flew open and four men with assault rifles came out firing. Dig’s first shots did nothing to stop them, before he realized they were wearing full body armor. Thea was having a little better luck with her arrows, as they were causing some damage, just not enough to put the guys down for more than a moment.

“Behind you, Dig,” Felicity called, having caught a second van approaching the scene.

“Damn it,” was the only response she got, as men poured out of the other vehicle and now had Dig in a crossfire. He couldn’t stay where he was, with his back open to the people behind him. But he also couldn’t turn to face them.

Thea saw all of this and made a choice. She selected a special arrow, one that acted like a smoke grenade and fired it. She followed it up with three more, giving Dig cover to get out of there. When the smoke eventually cleared, all that was there was the disabled van, the bodies of two of the bank robbers and nothing else. Dig came back out of the cover he had found and took a few quick pictures of the bodies before he and Thea got into the van and drove away before the police arrived.

Thea stayed quiet on the drive back to the lair. She could sense Dig was upset and didn’t know if it was directed at her. The fact that he was silent didn’t help matters, as far as she was concerned. But she also didn’t want to say anything and make matters worse. Dig was upset, but it was mostly a product of their overall situation. A year ago, it had been him, Roy and Oliver going out. Roy was still relatively new, but he made up for it with his street smarts, and Oliver was more than a match for almost anyone they faced. Now, it was him, Thea and Laurel, with neither of the two women possessing either Roy’s street smarts or Oliver’s level of training. Laurel had some boxing lessons and what Nyssa had passed on to her, while Thea had a few months with Malcolm. They were good, but good just didn’t seem to be good enough anymore, not when they were going out with pistols and bows against gangs that acted more like soldiers than street thugs and carried automatic weapons.

“Thanks for having my back today, Thea,” Dig told her as they pulled into the parking area.

“Always,” Thea replied, her voice full of meaning. Lyla and Dig had opened her home to her after everything that had happened and she would never forget that. Nor would she forget that Dig had a baby girl at home, one that needed her daddy. She would do what she could to make sure he came home to little Sara.

The pair walked from the van into the lair, seeing Felicity working at her station. Still photos from the fight were up on one of the monitors, while she worked at enhancing the images on another. A third monitor was showing the current news, with the sound down low.

“In the last six months, crime has risen by fifteen percent over the previous six months. Violent crime is up by twenty-one percent. What, you may ask, is the significance of the six month mark? It was six months ago that the SCPD arrested the Arrow, Roy Harper. Now, whether you agree with his methods or not, it can not be denied that this man did keep crime down. And while we are still seeing the others that assisted him in this crusade, we can not help noticing that they are not as great a deterrent as he was,” the commentator said.

“Our city’s leadership is to blame for the problem. This vigilante may have taken on criminals, but if we were to count what he did as the crimes that they were, then crime is actually down three percent in the last six months. It is only by accepting the myth that he was on some holy mission to, what? Save the city? Play Robin Hood? Who knows, because he was still committing crimes to do what he did. He wasn’t a hero, he was as much a villain as every other criminal,” replied the show’s guest.

“Turn that garbage off,” Thea told Felicity, as she put up her bow.

Felicity quickly turned the show off. She hadn’t really be paying any attention to it anyways, it was just there in case there was some breaking news that the team might have to react to. She did feel bad that Thea had had to hear that, especially since the two closest people in her life had either been or been accused of being the Arrow. Now both of them were gone because of it.

“This is what, the fourth time this week that these guys have hit a bank,” Dig said.

“Yep. And the van you stopped can be traced to the first of these robberies, or at least a similar van with those license plates. I got into the SCPD computer system and preliminary reports have them making off with over eighty thousand dollars. The total for all of them is almost three hundred thousand.”

“When the Royal Flush gang was active, they were two, three banks and then on to the next town. Why are these guys staying around? Especially with that kind of haul, it just don’t make sense.”

“I hate to sound like I’ve been watching too many movies or something, but could these all be leading up to something bigger? Like, maybe they’re working on their timing or trying to gauge our response or something,” Thea put in, looking at the others.

“When you talk to Laurel, have her father check for any big events. We’ll also need to keep trying to track this group down on our end,” Dig said.

“Let me get changed and I can head over to the courthouse. I need to see my lawyer anyway, so it will save me a trip.”

“Lawyer?” Felicity asked.

“Yeah. Now that Malcolm’s officially dead, for sure this time, the estate is being settled. And as I am his daughter and only living heir, it all comes to me. It’s not as much as it once might have been, considering everything that happened, but what there is is mine,” Thea said.

“Do you want some company?”

“No, I’m good. But maybe afterwards, we could all get dinner together.”

“Why don’t you both come over to my place. I know Lyla would love to see you, as would Sara. Let Laurel know too.”

“You’ve got it,” Thea said before walking off to where the changing room and shower were, grabbing a small bag containing her clothes on her way.

“How’s everything else?” Dig asked Felicity.

“Good. Works been great, plus my boss is super understanding when I need to slip away for our little side project,” Felicity told him.

“That wouldn’t be because you’re dating the boss.”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know, probably to some extent. After everything that happened with the League and finding out what we do, how we try to help the city, things have changed. Ray’s not looking to suit up and help in the field, not anymore. But he thinks that helping to fund the team, get you guys the things you need to be safer, that’s the best way he can help the city.”

“He’s not wrong. Having the helmet and the Kevlar armor is definitely a help, same with the armored van and the motorcycles. I know we would welcome him in the field, with the right training, but I can appreciate him setting limits on what he feels comfortable doing,” Dig told her.

“Well, I’m going to get back to my office. The searches will keep going and I’ll get notifications on my tablet, so we’re all good,” Felicity said as she headed for the elevator.

Dig watched her leave, a smile on his face. The smile quickly faded as he looked around the lair and noticed something standing in the corner, covered in an off-white painters drop cloth. He frowned as he walked over towards it. He was certain that this hadn’t been here before, not to mention his curiosity as to how whatever it was had gotten down here. Moving to the side, he could see a little through a gap between the wall and the cloth, recognizing the glass case as similar to the cases that had held the three costumes in the old lair.

Taking a breath, he moved the cloth so that he could see what was there. Dig jerked his hand back as if it had been burned. That shouldn’t be there was all he could think, before realizing that there was something different about what he was seeing and what he should have been seeing. Because this, this wasn’t Oliver’s Arrow uniform, though it was certainly similar to it. This was new, brand new in fact, as in it had never been worn. So, where had it come from and why. Deciding to wait until he could ask Felicity, Dig hurriedly covered the case and moved away. When Thea came out of the back, he was practicing his martial arts on one of the dummies in the lair.

After a quick wave, Thea was gone and Dig was left alone with his thoughts.


	5. Life in the League

Nanda Parbat

November 9, 2015

Oliver awoke in his bed. Looking through the closed doors to the balcony, he could see that it was just barely dawn. Sitting up, he looked at the other bed in the room and was not surprised to find it had not been slept in. He had assumed that Nyssa would be with Sara when she hadn’t been here last night after he’d taken what had become his habitual evening walk. He used it to be seen by the members of the League, as well as to get better acquainted with the halls of the fortress.

This morning, he went and bathed quickly before dressing for the day. Today, as with almost every day, he wore the robes of Ra’s al Ghul. He was just about done when a knock came at the door.

“Enter,” Oliver called.

“My lord. Do you desire breakfast here, in Ta-er al-Sahfer’s room or will you be joining in the communal dinning?”

“With Ta-er al-Sahfer, I believe. My wife should already be there.”

“As you command, my lord.”

When the assassin had backed out of the room, Oliver finished and walked down to Sara’s room. Going inside, he found Nyssa and Sara at the vanity in the corner of the room. Nyssa was running a brush through Sara’s hair, trying to be gentle with the tangled mess. Leaving them to it, he sat down in the chair by the bed, settling for just watching the two women. Both were already dressed in the League’s robes, Sara’s rather plain looking when compared with his or Nyssa’s. Oliver thought that if she stayed, they would have to get her robes that better marked her place in the League and in their lives. Perhaps a dark yellow trim, something like goldenrod, similar to the trims on Nyssa and his robes.

The two women were still there when their breakfast was delivered. The food was the same as the day before, not that any of them minded. It was good for them and tasted good as well, even if it wasn’t Big Belly Burger or Table Salt. The coffee definitely wasn’t Jitters, it was too strong for that and it had taken Oliver a couple of months to get used to it. The fact that the food was plain was likely best for Sara right now, given she’d thrown up the lamb and rice they had had for dinner last night.

Conversation over the meal was mostly light. Oliver consciously tried to steer away from talk about what Sara’s choice was or anything that might seem to Nyssa like he was trying to persuade her one way or the other. So, they talked about what they had read recently and also talked about the past. Still, there was only so much that they could say before all that was left was the Elephant in the room. When it did come up, it was Sara that initiated the conversation.

“So, how would it work?”

“How would what work?” Nyssa asked.

“All of this, if I were to stay. I mean, you and Ollie are now married, which is weird on a bunch of levels without getting into the whole ‘She is a Lesbian’ thing. And Nyssa, I mean, I knew your father was a misogynistic, homophobic ass, but I still can’t believe he forced you to marry Ollie,” Sara said.

“In many ways I am lucky, Beloved. If I had to have a husband, I am glad it is him, though at first I absolutely hated the idea of it.”

“Could have fooled me,” Oliver quipped with a smirk. “I mean, we made it halfway through the ceremony before you tried to kill me.”

“I’m glad I did not succeed now. You have freed me from my father and shown me more care than I had any right to expect. I know some of the older members are already whispering about an heir and how there will not be one as long as I am your only wife,” Nyssa replied.

“If those whispers get loud enough that I hear them, I may have to silence those whisperers by removing their tongues.”

Sara looked at Oliver at that, seeing a hardness in his eyes that she had come to associate with the Arrow. She wondered if it was only because of the League and becoming Ra’s al Ghul, or if it was the whole last year or so that had done this. Had gotten Oliver to realize that neither Oliver Queen nor the Arrow were masks, but rather two parts of one person.

“We seem to have gotten a little off track. You still haven’t answered how this will work.”

“It’s as I said before. If you stay in the League, you would be posted to Starling City as a Shadow. Spend time with Laurel and your dad, enjoy Big Belly Burger and black and white milkshakes. Keep an eye on the city and our families. Come back here and spend some time with us, or Nyssa and I might visit you. Though that would have to be in secret, if I did. As for your place with us, its whatever you want it to be. I know Nyssa loves you and I do as well, I know we both missed you more than words can say. But most of all, we want you to be happy,” Oliver told her.

A knock at the door disrupted them.

“Come,” Oliver called.

“My lord, your presence is required,” an assassin said, bowing his head.

To his credit, Oliver didn’t huff out a frustrated sigh as he got up from the table, snagging a plum as he did so. He motioned for the women to stay, silently conveying that they should continue with what they had been doing. Then, he followed the man from the room and through the halls to the great room. There, knelling on the floor was a man, bound with rope. Oliver could tell he was one of the villagers from near Nanda Parbat. The League had long had a symbiotic relationship with the nearby villages, with the League providing protection from various forces while the villages provided food and men for the League.

“This man has been accused of stealing a cow from a farmer in a neighboring village,” the assassin told Oliver.

“And what does he have to say about these accusations?”

“That a man came thru their village four days ago, with the cow. That the man was looking to sell the cow. He says that he bought it from the man.”

“Were there any witnesses to either event?” Oliver asked.

“His brother-in-law saw the man who they claim brought the cow,” the assassin told him.

“Did they say where this man went after selling the cow?”

“They said he continued on, not going back the way they had seen him come from, but coming towards Nanda Parbat.”

At that, Oliver stopped to think. The villagers all expected to receive ‘justice’ from Ra’s al Ghul and as he looked at the man knelling there, he wondered if the man had thought he’d seen his last sunrise when he’d been taken by the League. He also remembered that a few new recruits had arrived over the last few days. Could the man that they were talking about be among them.

“Go to the training area and get those men who have arrived in the last week,” Oliver ordered one of the assassins standing next to the door. He then turned to the assassin that had summoned him. “Place him where he can see those who come in, but can not be seen easily by them. Watch him closely for any reaction.”

“Yes, my lord,” the assassin said as he got the man to his feet and over behind a screen. If one looked, they could see the room. But, if one didn’t pay attention, they would see nothing but the screen when looking at it.

A few minutes passed as Oliver stood in the middle of the room, facing the Pit. When he heard the recruits enter, he waited until the sound of the door closing reached him. He fought the smile that threatened, as he was sure at least one of the recruits had jumped at that sound. Only when he had control of himself did he turn to face them.

“When you came to the League, it was with the understanding that you would have to leave your former lives behind. To eventually be reborn as something else. However, our training can not change who you are underneath, whether you are a man of honor or a cowardly thief. You were all told that we replace evil with death.”

Now, Oliver smiled, because he had seen what he needed to see. Of the five recruits, four were able to look at him. Yes, there was fear in their eyes as they did not understand what this was about and they could see Ra’s hand on the hilt of his sword. It was the fifth man who Oliver knew was guilty. Perhaps not of this, but of something. He would not meet his eyes and he was shaking. It was at this moment that the villager made his appearance, the assassin next to him holding his arm, the ropes gone. Oliver looked over at him.

“Is this the man?”

“Yes, my Lord Ra’s,” the village said as he knelt.

“Stand, Sir,” Oliver said. “See that he is well fed, then take him back to his village. Speak with the elders and make sure they understand that not only was he guilty of no crime, but that he brought honor to their village. If that is not enough, advise me on you return and I will go speak with them myself. Make sure he is repaid whatever he gave this, this thing. Also, make sure that the cow is returned to it’s rightful owner, if that was not done already.”

“It will be as you command,” the assassin said as he led the villager from the room.

“I will grant you a choice. Stand and accept your fate with some honor, or remain there on your knees as I deliver justice.”

The man did not move, though Oliver gave him several moments to rise. He just shook his head, shaking. Finally accepting that the man would not die on his feet, he removed his sword and drove it through the man’s chest, twisting it as he pulled it out.

“As I said. We exist to replace evil with death. The theft of a cow may not seem like much, but it could mean the difference between a family surviving another year or not. He then stole from the villager when he sold the cow to him, knowing that it wasn’t his to begin with. Now, return to your training and remember this lesson,” Oliver said as he strode from the room.

Doing what he had just done was not something he would ever be entirely comfortable with. Yet, it was expected by those who knew of the League. And he had meant what he’d said about that single cow potentially being the difference between life or death for the victim. He’d also come to understand that criminals were the same the world over, they don’t stop until someone or something forces them to.

Oliver left the room and walked back to his and Nyssa’s room. Not finding his wife or Sara there, he next went to Sara’s room. Finding it empty as well, he thought for a moment before heading for the training room that was set aside for them. Reaching the doorway, he smiled as he looked inside. Nyssa and Sara were practicing hand-to-hand combat, at a slower pace than Nyssa normally went at to be sure, but Sara was holding her own and even managed to take her sparring partner down in the end. He wasn’t surprised to see her breathing a little heavily after they finished. The Pit had healed her wounds and restored her life, but it couldn’t help the stamina that she had lost. Only time and exercise would help with that.

“Well done,” Oliver said as he walked inside, applauding as he did so.

“I remember my training, just need to keep practicing,” Sara told him.

“You’ll get there, Beloved. We will make sure of that,” Nyssa added, wrapping her arms around Sara.

Sara thought that she could get used to this. No more having to hide her affections for Nyssa or even for Oliver, though she would still be more reserved while among the other League members. She intended to take a little time before deciding on Oliver’s, or rather Ra’s al Ghul’s, offer, though she’d probably accept it. Because she’d meant what she remembered telling Laurel, that she’d chosen the League for herself. There was a darkness inside her now, had been since Lian Yu. The people in the League were more like her than those in Starling City, she felt more at home here than back there, but she did still miss her family.

“Why don’t you take a break, Sara, and I’ll train with my wife.”

“And what weapons will it be today, Husband?”

Nyssa had smiled as she said that, both at the title and because she had a very good idea which weapon he would choose. She knew he still felt his swordsmanship was only adequate at best, even after months of training with the League’s horsemen. Seeing him grasp a sword, one without an edge, she did likewise and stepped to the center of the room. They bowed to each other, then Nyssa attacked and the fight was on. Oliver was on the defensive at the start, but Sara could see that he was already looking for openings that would allow him to go on the offensive. Remembering all the trouble he’d had when Slade had tried to teach him, Sara was impressed with how well he was doing.

Oliver was enjoying himself and he knew Nyssa was too. He had learned a lot since he’d joined the League and a part of him couldn’t figure out the difference between now and when he’d been on Lian Yu and Slade had tried to teach him. Except now, he had already learned the price of not learning something, the importance of always getting better. Malcolm, Slade and Nyssa’s father had all taught him that. So, now he trained on not just things he was comfortable with, but on every weapon that the League possessed. He and Nyssa trained full out, the only rules were no strikes to the head with the sword. This was why he had chosen the swords with no edge, so that neither of them would get cut. Nyssa had told him that her father would treat the cuts he received in training with the Lazarus Pit. Oliver refused to consider that, knowing the price of using it.

Their sparring went on, both landing the occasional strike. More often though, it was a case of sword meet sword. Oliver was bigger, stronger while Nyssa had years of experience on him. Sara sat on the floor, watching and learning as she rested. She was enjoying this, as she got to take in details that she missed when she was the one sparring with Nyssa. When the sparring did end, it was with Nyssa sword at Oliver’s neck and his laying on the ground. At that, Nyssa stepped back and they exchanged bows once more.

“That was great, Ollie,” Sara said.

“No, Nyssa is great. Me, I’m still a couple of levels below that,” Oliver said.

“You’ve come a long way in the time that I have known you, Husband. But you still have trouble accepting a complement.”

“I try not to think of the first time you saw me fight with a sword.”

Nyssa knew that he had nightmares about that day, as she’d heard them herself. She’d done what she could to help him through them and they did seem to come less frequently the further away they got from that day. But those memories would be with him and her until the end of their days. She remembered that day as well, the fight giving rise to a brief flair of hope that she might finally be free of her father’s tyranny. But the next moment, it was snuffed out and soon thereafter, so was the life of Oliver Queen and she’d allowed herself to believe justice had been served.

When she’d found out he’d been lying to her, that he had lied to protect the true killer of her Beloved, she had been enraged. That had passed when she’d learned the whole truth about the crime and why he was protecting the person who fired the arrows. She could not fault the man for wanting to save his sister, especially a sister who had placed their trust in the wrong person and been used so foully by them. After listening to everything, she’d known the real killer was Malcolm. Thea had merely been the instrument of death, no different than if Malcolm had gotten some bartender to serve Sara something laced with Curare or Tibetan Pit Viper venom. Besides, Thea suffered more than enough after learning that she’d been the one to fire the arrows into her friend’s chest.

Sadly, she knew her father wouldn’t have seen it that way. He would have ordered the young woman’s death not just for that, but also for being the daughter of Malcolm Merlyn. Nyssa knew there was neither justice or honor in that. It was just another sign of his madness in her mind, just as was the way he so carelessly tossed the memory of her Beloved aside until it suited him to remember her.

“Well, I’m ready for another go,” Sara said. “How about we give Nyssa a break, this time?”

“OK. I assume you want to use your bo?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

No, no he did not, especially after seeing her smirk as she grabbed hers. Oliver put his sword down and picked up a bo for himself. He turned to face her and settled into a loose stance, waiting to see what she would do. It didn’t take long to find out, as her bo was racing towards his hip in a moment. He moved to block it, only for Sara to redirect her attack at his hands. He managed to spread them enough that the two bo met between his hands. She then tried to thrust forward and catch him with the end in his chest. He pivoted, so the bo went past, then he stepped back to gain space and recover his stance. The pair traded several strikes, the sound of wood meeting wood filling the room as the pair danced a deadly waltz to the music of their own making.

Nyssa watched and enjoyed the sight of the duo. Sara was a little more limber, a touch more agile, but Oliver was stronger and his stamina was beginning to show as the sparring when longer and longer. She watched him pick up the pace, trying to create an opening so he could strike. Sara was starting to lag, but she wasn’t backing down from the challenge. Finally, she gave him an opening, but when he went to strike, it was he who ended up get hit. Not just once, but twice before he ended up on the floor.

“I should have known better,” Oliver muttered as he lay there looking up at Sara and Nyssa, who had come to stand behind her Beloved.

“Just wait until I’m back in shape,” Sara told him with a grin.

“No thanks. I remember what you did to the Mayor with that bo.”

“Just don’t call me Bitch and you’ll be fine.”

The trio shared a laugh at that. They all knew there was no way that he would ever call either of them that. Not because he knew what their reactions would be, but because he could never think of them that way. He had too much regard for them to do that. Now, Isabel on the other hand, yeah she was a Bitch. Oliver smiled as he remembered Felicity’s nickname for her, Isabitch.

Nanda Parbat

November 16, 2015

Over the following week, the trio of Sara, Nyssa and Oliver had spent much of their time training. Sara’s stamina was much improved by the twice daily sessions. For those times when Oliver and Nyssa were busy with League business, one of Ra’s Horsemen took over Sara’s training. During that time, Sara had not made a decision and Oliver hadn’t brought it up again with her. At night, however, he and Nyssa had spoken about it. Nyssa believed that Sara would eventually accept the offer and argued that it was a good thing that she was taking her time before committing to a course of action. He felt she was right, though he couldn’t deny his growing anxiety as the days passed.

What neither of them knew was that Sara had actually decided already. The reason she hadn’t said anything was that she was waiting until she was stronger, more ready to leave. She knew it would be weeks, if not months before she was back to what she’d been before. She certainly had no intention of waiting that long, trusting her body and mind to pick the right time. When she woke up that morning, she’d felt great as she did her morning exercises. Getting through an entire circuit without feeling the least bit winded, she decided that the time had come.

As she was cooling down, the door opened admitting Nyssa, Oliver and a pair of assassins bearing trays loaded with breakfast foods. Nyssa silently directed them to set the food on the table, while Sara mopped her face with a towel.

“Good morning, Nyssa, Ra’s,” Sara said, using Oliver’s title around the other assassins, showing her respect for his position.

“Good morning, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Oliver replied, nodding to the departing assassins, who bowed to him as they left.

“How are you feeling, Beloved?” Nyssa asked. “I see you are exercising in the mornings now, in addition to our training sessions.”

“I feel great. So much so that I think I’m ready to tell you my decision.”

“Yes, Beloved?”

“I accept your offer, Oliver. Or should I make that Ra’s?” Sara asked with a teasing grin. “I think I’m ready and now that I’m alive again, I need to tell me family. Something tells me that telling them sooner rather than later is the way to go with that.”

“And when were you thinking of leaving for Starling City?” Oliver asked.

“Tonight, with your permission.”

"I would like to travel with her, as well,” Nyssa told him. “I’m certain that Laurel will have questions and feelings regarding this. I do not think it fair that Sara should face them alone, especially since what happened, what was said and done were not choices that she made. It is only fair that one of us face her when this is revealed.”

What went unsaid was the fact that he should really be the one facing Laurel. After all, he had been the primary architect of Sara’s resurrection. He should be there to answer her sister’s questions and also accept the joyful thanks from both Laurel and Captain Lance afterwards. But he couldn’t, because those questions and emotions were only the tip of the iceberg compared to how his former team would react if they found out that he was now Ra’s al Ghul, the head of the League of Assassins. Dig would likely feel justified in his scorn and hatred for Oliver, seeing this as confirmation of every bad thing he’d thought since Oliver kidnapped Lyla. Felicity would be hurt, wondering if the good man she had been so sure existed within Oliver was nothing but a fantasy, wishful thinking to justify her feelings for him. Laurel’s feelings would be confused by her happiness at having her sister back, though it likely wouldn’t be too long before her anger at the choice he’d made would make itself known. As for Thea, would she just see this as another lie her brother had told her, another betrayal of her trust in him. Would she worry that the League would turn him into a killer like Malcolm? Plus, there was the fact that the previous Ra’s al Ghul had nearly killed her and he doubted that she had any warm feelings for the League.

Just thinking about it unsettled him momentarily, until he took a breath, held it and finally exhaled slowly. He did this several more time until he felt calm and collected. Reaching onto the table, he lifted a small, silver bell and rang it.

“Bring the package for Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Oliver called when an assassin stepped into the room. The man backed out and returned shortly carrying a large rectangular box. He carried it to Oliver and placed it on the floor next to him, before bowing and leaving.

“We thought that might be your decision, so I ordered this be made for you.”

Sara opened the box and removed everything, laying it all on the chair next to her. What she found was an exact copy of Nyssa’s League uniform, except that the red accents had been replaced by a dark yellowish gold. She was certain that these would be hidden in the darkness as Nyssa’s were, yet would mark her as a high-ranking member of the League to the initiated. Usually, only members of Ra’s al Ghul’s family were given the honor of a personalized uniform. Underneath the uniform were her weapons. A compound bow and quiver filled with arrows fletched to match the trim on her uniform. A short sword was on a belt, with a knife on the other side. There were holders for her specially made bo, so that one baton would be on each leg.

“Thank you so much. Both of you,” Sara said, moving to give each of them a hug.

“You’re welcome, Sara. We know you want to spend time with your family in Starling City. We wanted you to have something to remind you that you have family here as well,” Nyssa told her.

“Also, we know you’ll want to go out and help the city some while you’re there. We can’t allow you to do that in this uniform, which is why we had your Canary costume replaced with new items. It looks the same, but gives you a little more protection as well. It will be waiting for you in Starling.”

Sara understood what Oliver was saying and why. The League lived in the shadows, believed to be mythical by all but the most informed. The team, on the other hand, was a somewhat known entity. Not necessarily the people under the hoods and masks, but as the Canary, Arsenal, Black Canary, Speedy, Spartan. The League, with its enemies, had no desire for such publicity. If someone like Amanda Waller could positively tie them to the League, the outcome would not be good. The fact that they had fought the League created the perception that the two were enemies and that was a perception he wanted to last as long as possible, if not forever.

Thinking of Waller got him thinking about ARGUS, a perpetual thorn in the League’s side. He also couldn’t help remembering his own dealing with the woman when he was Oliver Queen. A smile almost came to his face as he considered her reaction if she ever found out he was now Ra’s al Ghul. Would she curse herself for not having left him for dead on Lian Yu? For not having just left him in Coast City where she tracked him down after Hong Kong? Because all the things that she had done to him had contributed to making him the Arrow. He’d learned how to infiltrate a group by her dropping him back onto Lian Yu. He’d found the darkness inside him by torturing men for her in Hong Kong.

As much as he wanted to kill Amanda Waller, her organization was insignificant compared to the League. She didn’t even know that there were two Shadows currently working in her command center. The information that they passed onto the League helped many missions succeed and led to others being canceled. To throw her off the scent, they would even allow ARGUS’s operatives to “catch” the League in a mission. However, the Shadows were never captured, instead inflicting a few casualties on their opponents before disappearing.

Oliver was brought from his thoughts when he heard a cough. Focusing once more, he smiled when he saw that Sara had changed into her new League outfit. She had her hood up and the veil across the lower half of her face. A few stray hairs showed, revealing that the person beneath was a blonde. Nyssa, he saw, noticed this too. No doubt she would talk to her Beloved about that, though it was likely that she’d hurried when she’d pulled up her hood. Nyssa, he knew, didn’t pin her hair back, yet her dark locks blended perfectly with the dark fabric of the hood. Sara’s dirty blonde hair, not so much.

“What’s wrong?” Sara asked, seeing the look.

“Your hair,” was Oliver needed to say before she was adjusting her hood, then looking back up. “That’s better.”

“Not many blonde assassins, I know.”

“Let finish breakfast, then we’ll get you packed for your journey.”

“Is it bad to say that there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to go?” Sara asked.

“Only if it is wrong for both of us to admit that there is a part of us that doesn’t want you to either,” Nyssa replied. “But I think this is necessary for many reasons and will ultimately be of great benefit to you.”

“And my family?”

“Yes, and your family. We both saw how much Laurel grieved your passing. Yet, unlike with Tommy, she didn’t try to drown herself in alcohol and pills. She channeled her grief and anger into taking up your mantel as the Black Canary. Still, that grief is still there, as evidenced by her desire that we restore your body to life. She knew that Thea was struggling with the Pit’s effects and yet, she didn’t think of that or that Thea was only near death when Ra’s put her in the Pit while you had been gone for a year. She just begged Nyssa to ask Ra’s to bring you back.”

“You didn’t want to resurrect me,” Sara stated, “because you knew what might happen. I assume you tried to warn Laurel?”

“I did, but as I said, I believe that her grief drove her to make the request. Nothing I said was going to reach her, not until she’d come to accept your passing as I had done,” Nyssa said.

After that, none of them knew what to say. So instead, they shared a hug before finishing their breakfast. Oliver left to handle League business, while Sara and Nyssa packed their bags. Sara sorted what she was taking and packed everything carefully. Her luggage, like Nyssa’s, had secret compartments which she used to hide her uniforms. Her weapons would, she knew, be waiting for her when she arrived at her safe house. One of her first orders of business would be finding somewhere for Sara Lance to live, as well as a job for appearances sake.

With everything packed, it was time to leave. Neither of the women were surprised when Oliver did not appear to wish them well. They knew it was not from lack of caring, but devotion to his duties as Ra’s. Also, it would not do for anyone to feel he attached too much importance to Sara, for it could be taken as a sign of weakness. Ra’s was meant to be cold, detached, almost inhuman. Sara was just another assassin, leaving on an assignment. Yes, the Bride of the Demon was accompanying her, but then all of the League remembered that Ta-er al-Sahfer was Nyssa’s Beloved and were certain that even marriage to Ra’s hadn’t changed that. Perhaps that was why he was sending Ta-er al-Sahfer on this mission, they thought.


	6. Homecoming

Starling City

November 18, 2015

Sara and Nyssa were smiling as they cleared customs and entered the United States. Nyssa had told Sara what had happened the last time she was at the airport here and both were relieved to not have a repeat experience. Both were dressed in fashionable travel attire, looking like a pair of successfully women returning from a trip overseas. The passports that they were traveling on were not their own, but rather issued by a friendly country in exchange for Ra’s favor.

Walking outside, they saw several taxis waiting for fares. Sara started towards one when Nyssa stopped her and nodded towards a small van. It wasn’t a taxi as far as she could tell, which meant that it had to be someone connected with the League meeting them. As they approached, a man stepped out of the driver’s side and approached them, bowing slightly to Nyssa.

“Welcome to Starling City, Miss Raatko, Miss Lance,” he said to them, taking their luggage from them as if it weighed no more than a couple of pillows. The two women seated themselves in the middle seat of the van, while he loaded the rear before getting back behind the wheel.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer, this is Salah. He is one of the shadows who will be reporting to you,” Nyssa explained once they were in traffic. “You will meet the others over the next few days.”

“I know the others will be as happy to have you here with us as I am. Your knowledge of the city will be especially useful to many of us,” Salah told Sara.

“What of the crime and corruption in the city?” Sara asked.

“The Italians are mostly gone, save for a few holdouts. After the death of Frank Bertinelli, they were never able to recover. The Triad still has the docks, but they are weakened at the moment due to infighting to see who will be their leader. The most powerful is the Bratva, because they are bringing more muscle into the city with every passing week. The local street gangs are being given a choice of either working with them or being buried by them. As for the authorities, they are powerless to stop them. The team that worked with the Arrow are trying, but even they are finding themselves disadvantaged, not to mention also facing other threats.”

“Sounds like we have some work to do. I will not insult you or the others by asking if we know who the leaders are, where their weak spots are and have plans for how to cripple them.”

The smile she got in the rear-view mirror was all the answer Sara needed and she returned it with one of her own. Yes, the League had plans to deal with the Bratva if it became necessary for them to do so, though it would likely be others who handled that task. She knew that the assassins in the city could do it, but then would have to take time from their primary tasks to do so. And they were much more useful to the League handling those things.

When they were in the city, Sara noticed that they were going to the edge of the downtown area. They passed Palmer Technologies as well as Merlyn Global on their way to the hotel that they were staying at, the Starling Grand. She remembered it as the best hotel in the city, as well as where her high school had had its prom. The van turned off the street and went under the hotel’s over hanging frontage. Salah passed them both cell phones before the doorman reached the rear door to let them out. With Sara’s phone was also a small slip of paper, quickly finding its way into a pocket along with the phone.

A bellman wheeled a cart with their luggage into the hotel behind them. Sara smirked as she caught a couple of men in the lobby trying to covertly checkout Nyssa. She wondered what Nyssa’s first reaction would be if one of them was so bold as to approach her. She’d once seen her punch a man in the throat when he’d been stupid enough as to make a sexually suggestive comment to her. Thankfully for their stay here, neither of the men did more than look. The check-in process went smoothly and soon they were up at their suite. The pair went to their separate rooms and unpacked. Sara also used the time to read and memorize the little slip of paper, after using the bathroom hairdryer to make the writing visible. When that was done, she destroyed the slip and flushed the pieces down the toilet.

Coming out into the main room of the suite, she found Nyssa sitting on the couch. Going over, she sat down next to her, leaning up against her. The pair just sat like that for a time, looking out the windows across the room. It was still too early to go out, either for the League or to visit the team. Visiting the team was the priority, but they needed the situation to be right. This was definitely not something to be dropped on them without some planning.

“What are you thinking, Beloved?”

“How to tell my family and the others.”

Nyssa had her own thoughts on the way to do the revelation. She knew there would be no perfect time for something like this. That no matter what they did, this was going to have a strong impact with several people. Mostly with Laurel and her father, true, but Thea would also be affected. As for Felicity and Dig, even in the time that she’d been around the team, she’d never sensed really strong feelings one way or the other about Sara. She’d been an ally who might have become more given more time. She felt that they would be happy, but that happiness would be more for Laurel and Captain Lance getting their sister and daughter back.

“I have an idea of how we should do this,” Nyssa told her. “If I get them all to their lair, you remain in the shadows while I begin to explain. When the moment is right, you come out.”

“That could work, I suppose,” Sara said, thinking it over. “Or, we could go in our League garb. With my hood up and my veil on, I doubt any of them would recognize me if I just stand there silently.”

“But can you keep your blonde hair hidden that long, Beloved? Also, do not underestimate Miss Smoak, she is a genius, after all.”

“There is that, I suppose.”

The pair laughed together at that, snuggling closer together. Neither felt the need to fill the silence with words. Rather, they wanted to simply enjoy their time together just being together. When they got hungry, they ordered from room service and watched as the sun sank towards the horizon. Taking one last look, the pair went and collected their clothing for the night. They put it into a pair of soft-sided bags, like those people used for their gym clothes. Leaving the suite, they went down to the parking garage. A pair of Kawasaki Ninjas sat waiting, along with helmets. Tossing the bags over their shoulders, they climbed on and Nyssa handed a key to Sara.

Out on the street, Nyssa led the way out of the downtown area and on to the Glades. Sara had to work to keep up with her, as well as hit the turns. When they finally stopped, it took Sara a moment to realize where they were. A smile crossed her face as she remembered this place, her safe house from when she was tracking Malcolm Merlyn. It was as run down as she remembered it, she thought as she got off the motorcycle, then rolled it into the open door of the garage.

When she’d been a kid, this had been an auto repair shop. The owner and his family had lived upstairs, in the apartment that they were now using as a safe house. She’d chosen it mostly for the location, but also for the garage below. Something like a motorcycle was too tempting a target for any of the street gangs in the Glades and much easier to hot-wire than a car. Together, they closed the garage door, then went upstairs to get ready for the evening. After the motorcycles, Sara wasn’t surprised to find the upstairs had been stocked as well. Her and Nyssa’s weapons were all there, as were plenty of medical supplies. Even the bed had fresh linens on it, all courtesy of Salah, she suspected.

Opening her bag, Sara removed her uniform and quickly changed into it. She then walked out and began to put on her weapons. Nyssa was already ahead of her, but that had always been the case from the first day she’d met her. Sara didn’t try to rush and catch up, rather she concentrated on getting everything that she would need. By the time she was done, it was like looking at a twin. Not identical, but rather fraternal. Sara didn’t normally carry a bow and quiver, not because she wasn’t good with them, but because they’d reminded her of Shado for too long. Now, here, she would carry them to honor the pair that had given her everything.

“Are you ready, Beloved?” Nyssa asked softly from behind her.

Sara turned and smiled, one that Nyssa could see clearly through the veil.

“We taking the bikes or we taking a walk?”

“I do not think your stamina is up for that long of a journey just yet.”

“Then the bikes it is,” Sara said, heading back downstairs.

The ride back downtown was a little more sedate, as Nyssa was certain that no one had tracked them to the safe house. Still, she kept her eyes open as they went and took a couple of turns just to check behind them. The ride ended with them in an alley two blocks from Palmer Technologies, where they left them and made their way to the rooftops. Nyssa was pleased to see that Sara wasn’t breathing hard from their short run to the parking structure that covered the entrance to the team’s lair.

Getting into the base was disappointingly easy and definitely something that Sara would need to address with the team later. For now, she stayed to the shadows while Nyssa walked closer. She could see her sister near the computer station, talking with Dig and Felicity about something. Still, they hadn’t noticed that they were no longer alone, until Nyssa deliberately made a noise. Dig snapped around, his hand reaching for a gun. He didn’t stop when he saw it was Nyssa, either. While he didn’t point it at her, it was drawn and ready.

“Is this how you are going to greet me every time we meet, Mister Diggle?” Nyssa asked and Sara could hear the tease in her voice, even if the others couldn’t.

“Nyssa? You’re back?” Laurel asked, looking at her.

“I am, for a time. I have news that concerns you, your team and your father. Would it be possible to get the rest of your team and Captain Lance here?”

Felicity was already calling Thea before Nyssa had even finished her sentence. She was explaining what was happening to the younger woman, while Laurel called her father and Dig messaged Ray. Not surprisingly, Ray was the first to arrive, having the shortest distance to come. Captain Lance and Thea arrived at almost the same time.

“Thank you,” Thea said as she went up to Nyssa. “I realized I didn’t say that the last time I saw you and I should have.”

“I take it that you are feeling better,” Nyssa said as she looked at her sister-in-law.

“Yes, though John and Laurel are keeping an eye on me, just in case.”

“Be glad you have those who care enough to do so.”

“OK, so everyone is here. What’s the news that you need to share?” Felicity asked, her curiosity getting the best of her, though fortunately not enough to induce a babble.

“Most of you know that I was here a month ago and saw Thea Queen exhibiting sign of blood lust due to her having been healed with the Lazarus Pit. What you don’t know is that while I was here, I spoke with Laurel. I wished to warn her about Thea’s condition, to protect her and those around Thea. At that time, Laurel made a request of me, one that I refused to accede to,” Nyssa said.

Everyone looked at Laurel, who was looking at Nyssa with anger and hurt in her eyes.

“I asked that you ask Ra’s to restore my sister to life and you refused. You wouldn’t even consider it, just told me it was impossible,” Laurel said, struggling to keep the tears from her eyes.

“Because you were speaking from your grief, Laurel. You were asking me that, even after I had told you what Thea was suffering. Would you really have wanted your sister to suffer that as well? Also, you didn’t see the difference between Thea and Sara. Thea was still alive when she went into the Pit. Sara was gone and had been for a year. The Pit wasn’t intended to be used in a situation like that. I loved your sister with all my heart, Laurel, and there was nothing on this earth I would not do if it could have restored her to me. But what you were asking would have restored the shell, while that part of her that made her Sara would have been lost to us.”

“That’s all nice and all, but what does that have to do with now?” Lance asked, looking at the woman that he remembered kidnapped his ex-wife, threatened to kill her and him if Sara didn’t return to the League with her. The pretty words didn’t erase the fact that she was partly to blame for what happened to Sara.

“Because when I was here two weeks ago, I did not tell you the whole truth regarding the purpose of my visit. When I had returned to Nanda Parbat after speaking with Laurel, I told Ra’s al Ghul about her request. His reaction was similar to mine, at first. Then, he thought about it some more and concluded that it might be possible. He spoke with an expert on mysticism and magic whom he believed could assist us. When I came here to give Thea the cure for her blood lust, another part of the plan was being carried out,” Nyssa said as she heard soft footsteps behind her.

“We took Sara’s body to Nanda Parbat and used the Lazarus Pit on it to restore it to life. Then, with the assistance of this magician, we were able to restore Sara’s soul. We used a second bottle of the Lotus elixir to cure her of the blood lust.”

By the time Nyssa had said this, Laurel was on her knees, sobbing. Captain Lance wasn’t doing much better, but was still able to see the figure that was now standing beside Nyssa. So too did Dig, Felicity, Ray and Thea.

“Sara?” was the whispered question that came from Captain Lance’s lips as the second assassin slowly dropped her veil and pushed her hood back. Ray didn’t recognize the woman, but the others certainly did.

“Hi, Dad,” was all Sara said, as she found herself wrapped in the arms of her father. Those arms were soon joined by her sister’s as well.

Dig and Felicity were in shock. Both had been there the night they buried Sara, both had seen her body when they’d placed it in the wooden box. Their minds couldn’t understand how it was possible for her to be standing there, looking so alive, so like the Sara they remembered. Thea stayed back, because she was the reason Sara had been dead in the first place. She didn’t know how the other woman would react to her, what Nyssa and the League might have told her. A part of her was certain that the blonde remembered and would seek her revenge at some point. A part of her was also still deeply ashamed at what she had done, the part she’d played in Sara’s death. No matter how many times Oliver, Laurel and even Dig had talked to her, telling her it wasn’t her fault and that it was all Malcolm’s doing, she would never get over the fact that she’d fired the arrows.

Nyssa, her part now done, stayed silent, watching. A part of her wished Oliver was here to see this, to see what he had brought about. She remembered something Sara had told her, about her first return to Starling, before she revealed herself to her family. She had said that he’d told her she needed to tell her family, that they needed her. When she’d brought up all the lies he’d told and how her family knowing the truth would change things, Oliver had said that they would never speak him again, but that it would be worth it. Seeing this, Nyssa now understood what he must have meant about it being worth it. It had never occurred to her before, when she’d looked on new recruits to the League, what those left behind must be going through. Certainly, some of them had had nothing left behind, but the majority did, especially those few like Sara who became trapped into the League.

Nyssa watched Sara separate herself from her family’s hug before approaching Dig and Felicity. The pair’s greeting was a little more restrained, but no less heartfelt. She watched Sara laugh as the blonde genius rambled through a ‘glad you’re not dead, for the second time,’ something that even got a smile out of Nyssa. She agreed with her Beloved, the other woman was cute. She wondered if the woman knew the level of respect she’d gained from the League during Slade’s Siege on the city, by being willing to do what was necessary to stop the man. They’d known she was afraid, that there were many ways that the plan could go wrong. But she’d stayed the course and gotten her part done. A part of her wondered what Felicity could become if someone from the League were to train her. Not that it would ever happen, as long as Oliver was Ra’s al Ghul.

“Were you planning to hide over here all day,” Sara said to Thea as she approached her.

“I just didn’t think it was right for me to approach you,” Thea told her, looking down.

“Sweet, sweet Thea. This wasn’t your fault. I’m sure Oliver told you that, so did the others too. If you won’t believe them, then believe me. I don’t blame you for what happened. You were drugged and crafted into a weapon by a madman. Now, going off to Corto Maltese with Malcolm Merlyn, that was just dumb.”

“Yeah, in hindsight it certainly is. But at the time, he’d saved me from one of Slade’s soldiers, Oliver was lying to me and keeping secrets, I’d just found out Roy was lying to me and working with the Arrow and I’d watched my mother have a sword driven through her chest. With all of that, it felt like he was the only one I could trust. Even after everything, I kept siding with Malcolm over Oliver until I took a good long look and realized that they were both lying to me. The difference was, Oliver was lying because he wanted to protect me, while Malcolm was lying to serve his own interests.”

“We both have regrets, we’ve both done things we wish later we hadn’t. But rather than focusing on them, we need to look at the things that came from those decisions. If I had never gotten on that yacht with Ollie, I never would have been trapped on Lian Yu. But then, I might never have found the strength that was inside of me. I certainly wouldn’t have met Nyssa and never found the love that we shared. For you, I think Malcolm showed you a strength, too. The fact that he misused that strength doesn’t change that. Without his training, you never would have become Speedy, who I hear is helping to save this city, just like her brother did,” Sara told her with a smile, one that faded a little when she saw the look on Dig’s face. She knew that was and would remain the elephant in the room, one that she would have to confront sooner or later. The question was how to do that without revealing that Oliver was the one who’d helped resurrect her, that Oliver was now Ra’s.

Speaking of Oliver, Felicity was now on the phone trying to call the number that they had for Oliver. She sighed when he didn’t answer the phone. She knew that he would be just as happy as they all were that Sara was alive. And after everything he had been through, she believed that he deserved some happiness. She hadn’t told anyone, but she had been trying to track Oliver down for months now. She’d even managed to find him twice, catching a time when his phone had been in use to get a closer fix on where he was. But it hadn’t helped, because his movements were maddeningly random. As if he’d guessed she’d try to track him and this was his way of saying “Don’t”.

And it wasn’t what the others would think, that she wanted him back so that they could have another chance together. No, she was with Ray and she was happy with him. Ray understood her in ways Oliver never had and never even tried to and she understood him. It wasn’t the fairy tale that she’d dreamed of with Oliver, but it was more than she’d expected. Besides, she was smart enough to realize that, given everything he’d said and done, Oliver would likely never be ready to take that leap with her. 

“Hey,” Sara said from behind her, getting Felicity to just about jump out of her skin. “Where did you go, just now?

“Wishing Oliver was here. He’d be so happy about this whole ‘Sara’s not dead, she’s here and alive’ thing. Not that we’re not happy enough or anything. Just that, he really blamed himself, especially after we found out that it was Thea who had shot you. Plus, I don’t think he ever really let himself grieve afterwards because he was so focused on being strong for the rest of us. So, I tried to call him, so that even long distance, he could still be a part of this. But, he didn’t answer,” Felicity said or rather rambled.

“Good to see some things haven’t changed.”

“I don’t think I could change this if I tried.”

Before anything else could be said, an alarm on Felicity’s computer started going off. Turning to it, she checked the information and began typing away at her computer. Another screen began showing surveillance camera footage, getting everyone’s attention.

“Looks like our friends are at it again. This time a warehouse down at the docks,” Felicity called out, as Thea, Laurel and Dig went to get changed. Sara and Nyssa exchanged a glance, with Nyssa sighing after Sara had fixed her with a pathetic sad face, like a child gets when they’re begging their mother for something.

“Take it slow out there, Beloved,” Nyssa cautioned.

“I promise,” Sara told her. “I’ve just come back, so I’m certainly not in any hurry to do something stupid and end up dead.”

“I will be there to make sure you keep that promise.”

“I’m counting on it.”


	7. Missed Chances

Nanda Parbat

November 19, 2015

Oliver and two of the League’s horsemen were sparring, improving his swordsmanship. It was the one area he felt most lacking in, despite having received training from Malcolm, Ra’s and Nyssa. His marksmanship with his bow and arrows was exceptional, even by League standards. His unarmed fighting was also very good now. Now, he intended to similarly master the sword, which is why he spent most of his training time working on it. He didn’t neglect his archery, though. He still shot hundreds of arrows a day.

As he finally had both men disarmed and at his mercy, he became aware of another assassin standing in the doorway to the room. The horsemen stood and waited for direction. Getting a dismissive gesture, they collected their swords, then bowed to Ra’s and departed.

“Forgive the intrusion, my lord, but Talia al Ghul is here. She seeks an audience with Ra’s al Ghul.”

Oliver’s eyebrows rose at that. He wondered where she had been and if she knew about what had happened. He was also somewhat concerned as to why she was here now, at a time when Nyssa was away from Nanda Parbat. Schooling his features, he left the room and walked towards the main hall.

“Has my father finally consented to grant me an audience?”

“Your father is not here, Talia. You requested an audience with Ra’s al Ghul and here I am,” Oliver told her, watching and waiting.

“Oliver? Oliver Queen?” Talia asked, stunned. She had believed that he was going home after he left Russia, going to right his father’s wrongs.

“Oliver Queen is alive only in the past. He is forgotten. I am Ra’s al Ghul.”

“That’s not possible. My father is Ra’s al Ghul.”

“Your father was Ra’s al Ghul, until I took his life and the title of the Demon’s Head,” Oliver told her.

“This is more of my father’s tricks. They weren’t funny when I was a child and they grow more tiresome now. Show yourself, Father,” Talia called out.

“This is no trick, Talia. We fought, I managed to get the upper hand and this time, I did not hesitate to do that which was necessary.”

“I do not believe that you, even with all the potential I saw within you, could have defeated my father, much less killed him.”

“Yet here I stand, the ring of the Demon’s Head upon my finger. Assassins from your sister on down accede to my command, my will is the will of the entire League. If that does not satisfy you, would you believe the word of your sister Nyssa? The word of the assassins who bore your father’s body back here to Nanda Parbat, for the ceremonies marking his death and my ascension as Ra’s al Ghul,” Oliver told her.

“Then how is Starling City still standing? The destruction of one’s home is the final step before they can become Ra’s al Ghul,” Talia remarked, fire still in her eyes.

“Your father tried. He wanted to unleash a bio-weapon on the city, but I stopped him. That is when we fought our final battle, atop the Starling City Dam, and that is where I took his life. According to League law, it was a trial by combat. By defeating your father, I was proved right in the eyes of the League. Therefore, I could become Ra’s al Ghul without laying waste to Starling City.”

“So, not only did you murder my father, but you also stole my birthright.”

“Interesting that you should say I stole your birthright, given that you left the League long ago. When I first encountered the League, your sister was Heir to the Demon. Only after I survived your father’s sword did he decide I’d fulfilled a prophesy and that I would be his new Heir. He further cemented that decision by having me wed Nyssa, making his daughter my wife and uniting our two families,” Oliver told her.

“There is no way that my sister would have willingly wed you,” Talia said. She had long known of Nyssa’s desires and knew that they were not for a man, even one such as Oliver Queen.

“Oh, she made that abundantly clear when she tried to kill me with a knife at the wedding ceremony. But since then, we have come to a mutual understanding and even friendship. We know that we each need the other.”

Talia had been watching her former student as he stood before her. He looked a little more worn than she remembered, but also more confident, more composed. He seemed to have taken to the role of Demon’s Head, yet she did not sense the ruthlessness that had come with her father. She suspected that was something that he would gain with time and experience, if he was permitted such luxuries as those. Word had been coming from Nanda Parbat that there was a new Demon’s Head, which is why she’d come here today. She had been cautious, because it would not have surprised her if it wasn’t all a trap meant to ensnare his rivals. Make them think the League was weak and use that against them. What she found was worse than that, a new Ra’s al Ghul who, she knew, could be just as ruthless as her father. The difference was, her father was a known quantity, whereas Oliver was not. They would react differently to the same event and the League’s enemies were so used to dealing with her father, they might do something that he was shrug off only for it to ignite all out warfare because Oliver did not.

Talia knew she would have to think a great deal about her next course of action. What might have worked with her father might not with Oliver. So, for now, she would hold her tongue from going any further that she had already today. Patience was, after all, a virtue. She would exercise that virtue in planning her revenge on Oliver Queen and her sister. They had taken what she wanted most in life, she would find a way to return the favor. She exchanged a little more general conversation before taking her leave of Ra’s al Ghul and Nanda Parbat. Looking back as she reached the end of the long path out of the fortress, she vowed to herself that the next time she saw that view would be when she arrived to claim her rightful position as the Demon’s Head. On that day, she would see the usurper and his bride dead.

Oliver watched her leave, feeling a sense of unease wash over him. He didn’t know what to make of what just happened, but he suspected that this would not be the last he and the League would hear from Talia. Her anger had been too great to think that their talk had diminished it, yet that was the impression she’d tried to leave him with. What she didn’t know was that he was coming to learn to look for hidden meanings to everything people said to him. He’d learned the hard way that what someone said might not be what they meant, felt or thought.

Walking from the room, Oliver made his way to his and Nyssa’s rooms. Going inside, he made his way to his reading area and found the phone. He was pleased to see that the solar charger that it was connected to was doing a good job of keeping the battery charged. Disconnecting the phone from the charger, he carried it out onto the balcony and sat down on a stone bench there. The view up here was truly magnificent and Oliver doubted that he would ever not enjoy it. So he took a moment to just look before he began dialing a number on the phone.

“Good morning, Husband,” Nyssa said from the other end of the line. “We’ve only been gone two days, you can’t miss us that much already.”

“Or perhaps I just needed my daily dose of your sarcasm,” Oliver replied teasingly.

“You must mean my wisdom.”

“That too, my wife.”

“If you guys are going to get all lovey dovey, could you at least take it to your room,” Sara said in the background, laughing as Nyssa threw one of the decorative pillows from the couch at her.

“Well, if you didn’t miss us, then why the call at this hour of the night?” Nyssa asked.

“We had a visitor today. Your sister,” Oliver told her.

“Why would she have come? She knows that she is not welcome in Nanda Parbat.”

“I don’t know. She requested to see Ra’s and when I appeared, she believed that this was another of your father’s tricks. I don’t know if she ultimately believed me or just moved on, but she then accused me of stealing her birthright.”

“Any rights she might have had to the League and the Demon’s Head died years ago. She came to believe that our father had no intentions of having her, or even me, succeed him. She had trained all of her life for it, yet he easily dismissed her. So, one night, she left with a handful of loyal followers, seeking to make her reputation and prove herself to be a worthy heir. Instead, my father named me Heir to the Demon and turned his back on Talia. She was not to be spoken of, any followers who had been members of the League were to be killed as traitors. It never became open warfare, as she knew she did not have the strength to oppose the League directly. So, she had remained, sticking to the edges. Perhaps waiting for her opportunity to strike, perhaps resigned to the fact that time and events have passed her by,” Nyssa told him.

“If you had seen her anger when I told her that I had killed your father, I doubt you would use the word resigned to describe her,” Oliver replied.

“Talia, I think, always hoped that father would acknowledge what she had achieved with her group, her students. That one day, she would return to the League in triumph and be father’s successor. Now, that will never happen. You know I was angered by his decision as well. The difference is, I never felt I had something more to prove to my father, while Talia does. And you have robbed her of her chance to do so.”

“Do you think she’ll go after the League, then?”

“The correlation of forces remains relatively unchanged. Her group does not have the power to attack the League directly. If she were to decide to seek retribution, it would have to be in a more indirect manner. Now that we are aware of the potential problem, we can make plans to defend against it,” Nyssa told him.

“We’ll talk more about that when you return,” Oliver replied.

“Just ask it, Oliver. I know you want to.”

“I was refraining from doing so because you’ve only just arrived. I hoped the two of you could manage to go a day without getting into trouble.”

“Oh, it was no trouble at all. We went and saw your former team and Sara’s father. The reunion was very good. I know they tried to call you, but you didn’t answer,” Nyssa said.

“I thought that might be why I was getting a call and I didn’t want it to look like I was sitting by the phone waiting for it,” Oliver let her know. “I’ll call back in a day or two, let them tell me. I know Felicity or Thea will want me to come back home, so I’ll need to think of a reason to put them off.”

“Or you could come here, see your sister. Let the others know you are doing well. If they pressure you about returning home, just let them know that is not possible at this moment.”

Oliver sighed at that. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his sister. He was conflicted, because as a member of the League, one was supposed to leave their former life behind. How could he expect that of those he now led if he refused to adhere to the same standard. He was sure if he gave over to such a thought, Nyssa would tell him that he was Ra’s al Ghul. Whatever he wished, he had but to command it and it would be done. If he wished to visit his sister and his friends, he could do so.

While that might be true, he worried about what might happen if he did so. Part of the reason for disconnecting from one’s former life was to eliminate potential targets for retaliation. Members of the League were meant to be shadows, ghosts. Yet, in many respects, that did not apply to him. His face was too recognizable, his former self too famous. Unlike someone like Maseo or even Sara, there were no shortage of people out there who knew him or about him. Given that, it would not be hard for his enemies to wait in hopes of his appearing in Starling City, if not attacking there in a move to draw him out. The best thing for him to do was to stay away, while moving others into positions where they could watch over those he loved.

“Not now, Nyssa. We still have work to do to better solidify my position as Ra’s al Ghul. Until that has been fully accomplished, it would be best for one of us to be here.”

Nyssa frowned at that. She was more in tune with the League than her husband was, she knew. She was not aware of any whispers of dissension, as they had worked hard to show Oliver respected the traditions of the League. She also knew that he was training hard to prove that he belonged as Ra’s al Ghul. She decided that this was a deflection tactic, a way of arguing why he could not visit. She knew he was stubborn, but then she could be stubborn as well. So, she tabled this mentally for when she got back to Nanda Parbat. Then, they could better discuss it face to face.

“Very well, but we will talk about this further upon my return,” Nyssa promised him. “We were there when there was a possible robbery of a warehouse. Sara and I joined your former team in going there. We were able to stop the theft, but the criminals managed to get away. Mr. Diggle had expressed some concern about this group and I am not able to disagree with him. They are heavily armed and show no hesitation in using those weapons.”

“If you wish to have Sara and the other Shadows look into them, I am not opposed. However, I do not want to jeopardize their other missions. Those remain the priority,” Oliver told her.

“As you command, Ra’s al Ghul.”

Oliver laughed as he hung up the phone, wondering why it felt like he’d just lost another argument with his wife. And why he didn’t mind that or thinking of Nyssa as his wife.

Starling City

November 19, 2015

Nyssa smiled as she came out of her room. Sara was already up and from the looks of things, more than halfway through her breakfast. There was a second covered dish across the table from her Beloved, so she went and took a seat there. Lifting the lid, she found bacon, eggs and hash browns. There was a coffee pot in the middle of the table, as well as a pitcher of orange juice and bowl of fresh fruit.

“Did you sleep well?” Nyssa asked.

“Once I finally got to sleep, I did,” Sara replied. “I’ve grown used to the quiet in Nanda Parbat. I need to adjust to the sounds of the city again, I think.”

“And your plans for today?”

“Get reacquainted with the city. Felicity, Laurel, Dad and Dig are working and Thea said she had something she needed to take care of. What about you?”

“I will probably exercise for a while. At some point, I need to speak with the other Shadows that are here. Ra’s had consented to them looking into this group that troubles your friends. However, they are not to let this get in the way of their current assignments and I need to make that clear when I tell them,” Nyssa said.

“We’ll probably need some others on standby, in case we need to take action. Especially if what the Shadows here are doing is important.”

“Ra’s knows that. When the time is right, he will make sure you have the resources you need to cleanse this city of the corruption that plagues it. Not the way my father tried, or Malcolm Merlyn attempted. Rather, he would use the League as a surgeon uses a scalpel, to cut away that which is diseased, leaving the rest to grow healthy once more.”

Sara smiled at that. Like Oliver, she remembered a time when the people of this city cared about one another. A time when you were able to walk the streets without fear, when the city was brighter. She knew that men like Malcolm, Robert Queen and those behind the Undertaking had done things that made bad situations worse. Took jobs out of the city, left those workers with nothing. Stopped many of the charitable endeavors that might have help them, instead focusing on feel good projects that really didn’t help many. When something was working to make things better, they worked behind the scenes to kill it, like cutting funding to CNRI so that the lower income people who used it didn’t have the resources to fight back against the powerful elites.

Now, the city was on its knees. So much had happened since she’d gotten on that boat with Oliver. The Undertaking, Slade Wilson, the League trying to unleash a biological weapon were just the big events. It was all the little things, all the criminals that Oliver and his teams had fought and beaten, now having to fight them again after the evidence against them was destroyed and they were released. A few had left Starling, looking for better opportunities elsewhere. Not surprising considering a lot of good people were also either leaving or just one more bad day away from doing so.

“I’ll be back later,” Sara said as she got up from the table. She grabbed her jacket from where it was draped over the back of the couch before walking out the door. A couple of minutes later and she was in the parking garage. Going to her motorcycle, she climbed aboard. Firing the engine, she took off out of the garage and onto the streets.

Riding into the Glades, she began looking around. She had a basic idea of where to look, but knew that what she was doing might take time. Sin wasn’t likely to be easy to find, but Sara figured the best way to start would be to cruise around and let herself be seen. She would also try to spot one of the few people who knew Sin and see if they would pass on a message to the girl. She knew she’d have some explaining to do, but she was back now and she was going to keep the promises she’d made.

On her route through the Glades, she happened to go past Verdant. She looped back around and took a look. She’d never asked Oliver what happened to the club after everything with Slade and Isabel. She’d heard that Isabel evicted them after Oliver lost Queen Consolidated and that now QC was Palmer Technologies, but not what came in between. Not that any of that was super important to her, though if Verdant was still open, she could see about getting a job bar tending there. With Thea as her boss, she wouldn’t have to worry about explaining where she was going at night. She knew she didn’t need a job for the money, as the League would handle her daily expenses, but she did need something to explain how she had money.

Sara was pulling away from Verdant when a van came and tried to block her in. There was a gap that she could have slipped through, but it forced her into an alley that dead-ended behind the closed club. So, she stopped the bike and waited, letting the engine idle. The van had no windows in the back portion of it, so she had no idea how many people it might contain beside the pair up front. Besides the driver, she guessed at a pair in the back and the guy she could see in the passenger seat.

When the doors opened and three men got out, she smiled slightly to herself. She noted with some surprise that none of them were brandishing a weapon, though there were bulges in their coats that made it plain they were armed. The way that they moved also made it plain that they had done this before. Looking them over, she guessed that they were Bratva and that this was likely a kidnapping/ white slavery ring. At that though, Sara wished that Nyssa was here. If there was one thing that both of them despised with a passion, it was the merchants of flesh.

“You looking for party?” one of the men asked. “Come with us, we show you party.”

One of the other men snickered, as they all ogled her body. Sara smiled as she slid off the bike, her mind already seeing what she was going to do. She removed the key from the ignition, but didn’t move to put it in her pocket just yet. Patience, she thought as she took a step forward. Get a little closer, but also get them to come closer to her. The trio of men smiled, thinking that this was going to be easy. The girl was walking right too them.

“But if I go with you, what about my bike?” Sara asked, making a face. “It won’t be safe if I just leave it here.”

“No worry, Vlad will bring bike,” the man said, pointing at one of the other two.

Sara smiled at that, which encouraged the men. They came closer, not seeing the danger until it was too late. She threw the keys into the man’s face as her other hand reached for one of the two batons that made up her bo. A flick of her wrist had it extended, then she struck the speaker in the side of the head. The other two had been distracted by the keys, but were now reaching for their guns. She grabbed the other baton from its hidden holster and moved in. The two men were little better than street thugs, intended to scare their intended victims into compliance. They were certainly not a match for someone trained by the League.

As she was defeating the third man, she wasn’t surprised to hear the van take off. If anything, she was surprised that the driver had stayed as long as he had. Perhaps he had been hoping that his guys would be able to subdue her with their numbers. Or, it had simply taken him this long to realize that it was time to cut his losses and flee. Either way, it didn’t matter as she looked at the three men. Were these anyone else, she would not do what she knew she was going to do. But, if she let them go, she knew it would only be a matter of time before they were back out on the streets hunting other women. Women who wouldn’t have the skills she did, who wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from being taken. Sometimes, killing was the only solution, she thought as she proceeded to snap the three men's necks. It might not stop the trade or even the local group, but these three wouldn’t be taking any more women and she’d have to settle for that.

Looking around, Sara found her keys and got back on the motorcycle. Pulling out of the lot and away from the area, she felt more tired that she had since she was resurrected. So much so that she failed to notice someone watching her as she drove past. Sin was just coming out of a bar, a sandwich in her hand when she saw the blonde on the bike ride past her. She looked at her in shock, her mind taking a moment to piece together what it had just seen. By the time it did and she could call out, the other woman was out of ear shot, leaving the young girl with more questions. Chief among them was where could she find her?


	8. Up against the Wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Huge Thank You to all of you loyal readers. The kudos and comments have been inspiring and I just wanted to let you all know how much it brightens my day to know you're enjoying this story too.

ARGUS Headquarters

November 19, 2015

Amanda Waller stood drinking a large cup of coffee, waiting impatiently while the technician in front of her worked on the data. She had a project in the works, something special and it needed someone special to lead it. She had wanted Oliver Queen, until she found out that he was no longer in Starling City. She’d tried to trace him, but had surprisingly gotten nowhere. She’d then had her people on Lian Yu check the island, knowing that he’d gone there after the Undertaking. When they reported back that the only inhabitants were Slade Wilson and his guards, she’d gotten angry.

Since that day, she’d been pushing her people harder and harder to locate Oliver Queen. She’d had them listening in on all of his former associates phone calls. She’d had them following those same people, then anyone they met were investigated and followed. Somebody, she was sure, knew where he was. Waller just needed to find that person. Not surprisingly, it was the phone calls that gave them their first lead. They intercepted a call between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak, one that they were able to trace the call as having originated in Peru. By the time they were able to narrow it down more, the call had ended. Waller had ordered satellite surveillance and quietly sent a team down there, hoping to find him.

They failed, because they were still looking for him in Peru when the next phone call was intercepted. This one was between Oliver and his sister Thea. The only problem was that this time, he was calling from South Africa. This got Waller to move her team and resources to that part of the world, where they resumed the hunt. And so the hunt continued, with her committing more resources and more attention with every successive move. Some of the agents were whispering that she was obsessed with this, wondering why they hadn’t just tried to find someone else. There were a few that were thinking of the potential of Oliver Queen, if he could elude Amanda Waller for this long.

“Ma’am, Ms. Michaels is here,” a guard by the door informed her.

“Let them know I’ll be right there,” Waller said before focusing on the agent in front of her. “When I get back, I expect you to have something new to report.”

With that, Waller turned and walked from the room. If she had looked back, she would have caught a glimpse of a smile on the agent’s face. Not because she was happy with that demand, but rather because she knew ARGUS would only find Oliver Queen when he chose for them to do so. And when they did find Oliver Queen, they would also find Ra’s al Ghul. A part of her wanted to be there when that happened, just to see the look on Waller’s face.

“Michaels,” Waller said as she walked into the small room, eyeing her former subordinate. “Good of you to come.”

“I wasn’t aware I was being offered a choice,” Lyla said, thinking about the trio of agents that had shown up at her home with orders to take her to see Waller.

“Yes, unfortunately I’m a little pressed for time. I’m trying to locate Oliver Queen.”

“Sorry, I have no idea where he is, just that he’s not in Starling City any more.”

“But you can find out, from your husband and your husband’s friends,” Waller stated firmly.

“They don’t know either, according to John,” Lyla replied.

“That’s a shame. I never would have figured that Mr. Queen would leave you all to hold the bag, but perhaps I underestimated his self-preservation skills”

“What do you mean, hold the bag?”

“Why, for that nasty bio-weapon attack that took place in Starling City. See, the thing about incidents like that is that the public always wants somebody to blame. Now, I was going to offer up Mr. Queen as the scapegoat, but I need him here for that to work. Explain his options, as it were. But since he’s not available, I guess it will be you, the disgruntled government agent passed over for promotion, and your husband, who was secretly the Arrow’s right hand for the past three years. The media and the public will eat it up,” Waller told her, a smug smirk on her face.

A mixture of anger and fear played out on Lyla’s face. She knew it was a scam, but she’d been around Waller long enough to know it wouldn’t matter. Evidence would be manufactured, witnesses bribed or threatened and the court packed with ‘friendly’ people just to be certain. The conviction would be guaranteed before either she or John walked into a courtroom. Once they were convicted, they would be at Waller’s mercy, most likely ending up on her suicide squad or something worse. Then there was Baby Sara. What would happen to her if that came to be? Lyla had no family and John only had his sister-in-law Carly. Would she be willing to take the child in? Could she afford it?

“Now, as I said, I’m really only interested in Mr. Queen. So, since I’m not entirely heartless, I’ll give you and your husband two weeks to find him for me. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to go with the other option. I would suggest you use your time wisely,” Waller said as she got up from her seat and walked to the door. “Oh, and if you try to run, I’ll consider the deal null and void. Agents will immediately arrest you and bring you in, regardless of if there is someone to watch your daughter or not.”

Lyla just glared at the door as Waller left the room. A couple of minutes later and her guard escorted her from the building. The same black SUV that had brought her here was waiting. Her hand itched to grab a phone and call her husband until she remembered that she didn’t have her phone with her. When they’d come to get her, they’d made her leave everything except her house keys. So, she was stuck waiting until she got home before she could call anyone, to warn them about what was coming. Lyla had no doubt that Amanda Waller meant every word she’d said and to face that, they would need all the help they could get.

When she entered the apartment, she found Sara laying in her crib while the agent that had stayed with her was sitting on a chair taken from the table. The way the chair was positioned, they could see everything in the apartment except for the master bedroom. Lyla frowned slightly, as she took in the sight of the agent, gun resting in their lap with their right hand on it. A part of her wanted to ask if there was an implied threat in that or if the agent thought that there was some form of threat against Lyla and her family. Not that the agent would ever guess that the threat was from ARGUS itself, unless they were briefed by Waller on what was happening. More than likely, they just assumed that there was some form of threat and acted accordingly.

Lyla watched as the woman stood, put her gun away and walked out the door. Once she was gone, Lyla went and locked the door before checking on her daughter. Seeing the little girl was asleep, she went to the couch and sat down. She looked at her hand and noticed that it was shaking. She dropped her other hand on top of it, trying to still the motion as her mind tried to deal with the emotions that were the cause. It also felt like there was a running clock in her head, counting down how long they had to find Oliver. As she thought that, she reached out and picked up her cell phone, quickly dialing her husband.

“Hi, hon,” Dig said as he answered.

“I need to see you and your team, John,” Lyla told him, her tone of voice carrying its own message of ‘NOW’.

“Come to Palmer Technologies. Felicity will be waiting for you in the lobby.”

With that, Lyla hung up and stood. She quickly got baby Sara out of the crib and into her carrier, then they were out the door. Going down to her car, she kept her eyes open. It certainly wouldn’t surprise her if Waller had a few people watching her, to make sure she didn’t try to run if nothing else. She didn’t see anything obvious, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. She also didn’t see any cars pull away when she did either, nor when she ran a couple of surveillance detection sweeps. Lyla decided at that point to just get on with her trip and headed for the Palmer Technologies building. When she got there, she parked in the garage and took the elevator up to the Lobby level of the building.

Felicity was waiting for her, near the elevators. Her greeting was subdued, due to the sleeping baby. She already had a visitor’s pass for Lyla, so they could just get on the private elevator that is waiting for them. As the doors closed, Felicity took her key card and held it to a scanner under the elevator’s controls. She then pressed the down button three times before removing her key card. At that, the elevator descended and a moment later they were stepping into the lair. Dig, Laurel, Thea and Captain Lance were all standing behind Felicity’s computer station. Ray was seated there, working on something. They all looked up when they heard the sound of Felicity’s heels on the concrete. When Dig saw Lyla, he rushed over to greet her. After a hug, he looked down at Baby Sara, worried that whatever was wrong had to do with her.

“I’m glad you’re all here,” Lyla said.

“Actually, we’re waiting for at least one more,” Laurel said, surprising Lyla as this was all the team her husband had mentioned.

Before Lyla could say anything, they all heard the sound of the garage door going up. It was accompanied by the sound of motorcycle engines briefly accelerating before they were powered down. Lyla followed the others looks and saw two figures in black walk in. Once she recognized them, her jaw dropped to the floor, but her husband stopped her before she could ask any of the questions that had instantly popped to mind.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Dig assured her. “Right now, we need to hear why you needed to see us.”

“When Sara and I came home from the park today, there were three agents from ARGUS waiting for me. One stayed with Sara, while the other two took me to headquarters where I met with Waller. She’s looking for Oliver, didn’t say why except for some garbage about using him as her scapegoat for the bio-weapon attack last May. I told her we don’t know where he is, which I don’t think she believes because she said we had two weeks to find him for her. If not, she makes John and I her scapegoats, pinning the attack on us, outing John as part of your team and implying that your team may have been in on the attack as well.”

“No one would believe either of those things,” Laurel said. “Not to mention, if it went to trial, any good attorney would be able to beat those charges.”

Lyla just looked at the older Lance sister sadly. Not that it was her fault for believing in the law and that the truth would win out. She’d never gone up against Amanda Waller, so she didn’t know any better. Lyla, on the other hand, knew how this would go. Waller would use the next two weeks to have her people create enough fake evidence to bury them. If they were detained, it would be at ARGUS, where experts in enhanced interrogation techniques would handle their questioning. By the time they were done, both John and her would likely confess to anything just to make it stop. Or, Waller might just use their friends on the outside as leverage, making it plain that their safety depended on cooperation.

“No, Laurel, they won’t,” Sara said, looking at her sister. “Waller will stack the deck to get the results that she wants.”

“She’s right,” Dig added. “We wouldn’t appear in a regular court, due to ‘national security implications’. Any attorney we get would likely be provided by ARGUS or at a minimum, intimidated by them to make the trial go their way. After that, she’ll have Task Force X waiting for us.”

“I’m afraid to ask, but what’s Task Force X?” Lance asked.

“You ever see the movie ‘The Dirty Dozen’? Same concept, except these prisoners are all extremely lethal. Waller finds them and makes them an offer, work with her and get possible early release. She’s had Deadshot, Cupid, Huntress and others on the Task Force. The inmates have another name for it, too. They call it the Suicide Squad, because the missions are all high risk and Waller doesn’t care about friendly casualties,” Lyla told them.

“How is she able to control them, out in the field with no restraints?”

“Easily. What she doesn’t tell them before its too late is that she has a small surgical procedure done. An implant is inserted at the base of their neck, which contains a small explosive device and a tracker. You try to run, you get a warning and she activates the bomb. You continue and the next thing anyone knows, you lose your head, literally.”

“And this bitch is now looking for Ollie,” Thea said. “We’re not going to seriously contemplate finding him, just to hand him over to her. Right?”

Thea was trying to read the room and she was getting an uneasy feeling as she did so. Dig and Lyla were fairly easy, as they were the ones being directly threatened and they had their daughter to think of too. She didn’t blame them for that. Captain Lance looked like he would sign on for that idea. She figured that was because he blamed Ollie for everything bad that had happened to Sara, which she felt was unfair in the extreme. She didn’t know what had happened during those years away, but she did know that Sara was on that boat of her own free will. She just wished the older man would acknowledge that one day. But what scared her the most was the fact that Felicity, Laurel and Ray weren’t saying anything. They didn’t look completely sold on the idea, but they also didn’t look completely opposed to it either.

“I think our first step is to find Oliver,” Felicity said before catching Thea’s glare. “I’m not saying that we turn him in. We need to find him and see if he can help us with this.”

“Felicity, you haven’t been able to find him in almost five months,” Dig said gently. “What makes you think you can do it in the next two weeks?”

“Because up until now, I’ve been trying to track him. Now, we’ll ask him for his help.”

Dig just shook his head. He didn’t believe in Oliver anymore, because he no longer trusted him. Even knowing that reaching out to the man was the only option that he and his family might have. The feeling of betrayal just cut too deep for the man. Lyla had tried to talk to him about this, comparing Oliver to a soldier fighting a war again the League. Dig hadn’t said it, but he remembered Oliver trying that line on him back when the vigilante was trying to recruit his bodyguard into his crusade to save their city. Dig also remembered his response, calling Oliver a criminal and a murderer. That belief had changed with time, as had Oliver. Or so he thought, until Ra’s and the League happened. Until a man he’d called his brother had turned his back on that bond.

Sara and Nyssa stayed silent, both noticing that the room had largely ignored them since their arrival. It didn’t surprise either of them, considering that they were on the fringes of the group for the most part. Sara had once been a part of the team before she left and then died, while Nyssa was only a sometimes ally who had helped the team when it helped her or the League. Being unnoticed was beneficial at the moment, as it meant that no one had noticed the look that passed between them. Or the smile that traced Nyssa’s lips, making her look like a shark that had spotted a large, injured sea lion.

Nyssa felt she had a good idea of what her husband’s reaction to this news would be. It was his plans that she could not guess at. She would have to talk with him and hope that she could talk him away from the more dangerous responses. Then again, perhaps a more extreme response was called for in this case, in order to send a message not just to ARGUS, but the wider world. Except that would likely also mean revealing to his former friends and family a truth that her husband didn’t want known.

Felicity tried to call Oliver, but it went to voice mail. Nyssa was pleased with that, as it would hopefully give her time to talk with him before any of the others reached him. As there were a few hours before they would go on patrol, the group decided to split up for dinner. Ray and Felicity went upstairs to his office, while Dig and his family went back to their apartment. The Lances decided to go to their favorite Chinese restaurant, with Thea tagging along. After giving Sara a look, Nyssa had begged off, saying she had something she needed to take care of first. Sara knew what she was going to do, while the others just assumed it was something to do with the League.

Monastery in Tibet

November 20, 2015

Talia returned to her base still dealing with what she had found in Nanda Parbat. She would have to send one of her men to Starling City and have them gather as much information as possible about Oliver Queen and the entire Queen family. She needed to know everything that she could, so that she could determine a course of action. She had made one misstep already due to not having good information and she would not make another.

She walked into the main training room, where several students were training against one another. Looking at them, she was confronted by the main disadvantage that she would have against the League. Her group was small, insignificant against the host that Oliver Queen now commanded. She could always challenge him to a trail by combat, with the winner gaining the League. But the risks inherent with such a strategy made it a last resort, not a first option. She valued living too highly to engage in a fight she would likely lose, as her mind again whispered to her: patience.

That, however, would be a problem for one of her students. She had met him almost two years ago. He had been searching for someone to train him, saying he needed to avenge the murder of his father. She had agreed to take him even after learning the name of the man he held responsible. Now, she wondered how he would take the news that his quest was likely to end in failure.

“Adrian,” Talia called out. When he didn’t turn from the target he was shooting arrows at, she walked over and called louder, “Adrian.”

“My apologies, mistress,” Adrian said as he knelt before her.

“Do I need to remind you of the first lesson?”

“No, mistress. I must be mindful of my surroundings. I failed at that today, I will not allow it to happen again.”

“See that you do not, or I may have to give you a more pointed reminder,” Talia told him.

Adrian Chase nodded at that. He’d been on the receiving end of one of her pointed reminders in the past and had no great wish to repeat the experience. His shoulder would be forever marked by the scar left from that arrow. He had thought the pain of it going in was bad, until she’d pulled it out. He’d come a long way since that day, not only in his skills, but also his ability to tolerate pain. As she had told him, pain is inevitable, suffering from it is optional. Now, he no longer suffered, he looked to make others suffer, especially Oliver Queen.

“Come with me, Adrian,” Talia told him, leading him from the room and down the hall to another, more private training room.

“As you know, I went to see my father, to discover if the rumors were true or not. When I got there, I found something even worse, something that affects you as well as me. My father is indeed dead and his place has been taken by Oliver Queen. I’m sorry, but I fear that your plans for revenge have been doomed before they every truly got started.”

“Are you saying that there is no way for me to defeat him?” Adrian asked.

“There is not, at this time. I will have someone go to Starling City, gather everything that they can about Oliver Queen. There is too much missing information, too much we don’t know. Even you, you can not say for certain that Oliver Queen is the man who killed your father,” Talia told him. “Also, the man that I trained, he was good. But my father was exceptional. If Oliver Queen has now mastered that level of skill, he is too dangerous for you to face yet.”

“Then teach me more.”

“I will try, but it will take time. Are you willing to commit more time to this? Because I know you wanted to leave for Starling City soon, so that you could lay the proper seeds for your rise.”

“I will devote however long you ask, just so long as I can defeat him and get my revenge.”

Talia smiled at that, the smile of the predator. She now had her weapon, dull and blunt though it may still be. She would use her time not focused on planning to hone him until he was razor sharp. Adrian, for his part, knew that Talia was making her own plans. Those didn’t concern him, because he was making plans of his own. He cared nothing about this League of Assassins or Talia’s birthright, though he’d heard her speak of it before. His focus was on his goal of destroying Oliver Queen.

Nanda Parbat

November 20, 2015

Oliver stood at the end of one of the larger training areas in the fortress, watching as the newer members of the League were being trained. He had been up since before sunrise and already spent two hours training against two of the League’s horsemen, working on his swordsmanship. In the afternoon, he planned on practicing his work with the bo. As Ra’s, he believed he should be more than proficient with any of the League’s weaponry. Tomorrow, he would train on tonfa and other melee weapons. The one weapon he practiced every day was his custom made bow, which had been a gift from Nyssa.

Since Lian Yu, he had always used a recurve bow. Nyssa and the rest of the League used compound bows, which are smaller and easier to maneuver in tight spaces. But she had seen how well he did with his signature weapon and she did not want to make him start over with a new type of bow. So, she had a bow made to his specifications, one that was a modern take on the bow Yao Fei and Shado had taught him with. This one was black, with a dark green grip. It was solid enough for him to use it as a makeshift staff in a fight, yet lighter than his old bow had been.

Focusing on the students, he watched them all draw the compound bows and fire. They all hit their targets, but only one was near the center. The others were scattered top, bottom, left or right. It had been like this since he had come into the room. Oliver frowned before walking further into the room. The assassins all froze as he moved towards the students.

“How is it that only one of your students has been able to hit near the center?” Oliver asked. “Why have I not seen any of you coaching them?”

Oliver glared at the four assassins that were the students’ instructors.

“No answer for why you have failed at your tasks? Very well. Who is his teacher?”

“I am, my lord,” a young woman said from the side.

“Do you think that you can get the other students up to his level quickly?” Oliver asked.

“I am certain of it, my lord.”

“See to it,” Oliver told her before turning his focus on the other three. “I do not tolerate failure and that is what you have done by neglecting your duties. Perhaps you need a lesson on the importance of archery?”

The trio met his gaze, he would give them credit for that. Aware that everyone in the room was now watching him, Oliver pointed towards the targets at the end of the room. As they walked down there, Oliver took one of the students’ bows and a quiver full of arrows. He then took aim and began knocking and firing them at a rapid pace. He didn’t hit any of the former teachers with an arrow, but he wasn’t trying for that. Rather, he was trying to show precision, even using a bow not his own. When he was done, the centers of the targets were decorated with arrows, as well as bits of black fabric.

“The next time, if this happens, I will not aim to miss. Now, collect the arrows and then move so that the training may continue. You will continue collecting the arrows until all of these students are consistently able to hit the bullseye.”

When Oliver got to the back of the room, he turned to watch again. As he did so, one of his Horsemen came up beside him.

“My apologies, but Nyssa is calling for you.”

“Watch them for me and make sure that the others improve as well.”

Walking through the fortress at a steady pace, Oliver made his way down to the communication center. Stepping inside, he nodded to the Shadows that were on duty. He could see the old-style phone sitting at a desk in the corner, the handset laying next to it. As he approached, he could feel the tension building within himself. They had just spoken yesterday, after all, and it was not like Nyssa to call during a mission, even one that he was so personally invested in. He couldn’t, however, think of anything that could have gone wrong, which worried him even more.

“Good evening, Nyssa,” Oliver said into the telephone.

“And good morning to you, Husband,” was Nyssa’s response.

“Why do I have a bad feeling?”

“Because you know me too well. At least well enough to know that I would not call unless I felt it important.”

“What happened?” Oliver asked.

“Your former team has a problem. Ms. Waller is looking for you and she has given them two weeks to find you, or she is going to arrest Mr. Diggle and his wife in connection to the bio-weapon attack on Starling City,” Nyssa told him

Oliver gripped the handset so hard, he was afraid he had cracked it.

“Did they say why Waller wants me?”

“Mr. Diggle’s wife said that she planned to use you as her scapegoat regarding the attack, though she doubts that is the true reason. As do I.”

“Do you think that she knows?” Oliver asked.

“Ms. Waller? No, I doubt very much that she has any idea about that. If she did, she would have one of her cutouts contact one of the League’s, to see if she could arrange a meeting to discuss it. She would, no doubt, attempt some form of trap to catch you. Instead, it appears as if she is grasping at straws, I believe the phrase is,” Nyssa told him.

“And what do you think would be her reaction if she learned that Oliver Queen is dead?”

“Unless the other part of that is that he is now Ra’s al Ghul, I do not see it changing much. Someone or something is pressing Ms. Waller regarding that attack. From what I know of the woman, she will do whatever is necessary to provide answers, even if those answers are not the truth.”

That was what Oliver was afraid of. Waller was willing to do whatever was necessary to win, regardless of the costs. He remembered when she’d learned that Akio had died from the Alpha/Omega virus, she’d barely blinked. So he could see her having no issues with having Dig and Lyla wrongfully convicted for the attack, if it solved her problems, whatever those might be.

“And if I reveal to her that I am Ra’s al Ghul, it gives her leverage against me,” Oliver said flatly. “This is an interesting dilemma that you have given me, Nyssa.”

Nyssa agreed with both of Oliver’s statements. Knowing what she did of the woman, it was easy to see that she would try to use his friends and family as leverage against him. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t want them to suffer if he could prevent it. The question was, how to prevent Ms. Waller from attempting something like that. She had an answer, but wondered if Oliver would agree to it.

“I will be in Starling City in 48 hours. Do not let anyone know I am coming. When I get there, we will deal with this problem.”

Nyssa shivered at that tone of voice. It was one that she heard all too rarely from her husband. She remembered the time she had heard it on the plane from Nanda Parbat with Oliver and her father. It was the tone he’d used to announce his name was Oliver Queen. It was a tone that reminded her of her father. The tone of Ra’s al Ghul.

“As you command.”

Oliver hung up the phone at that, then turned to one of the Shadows in the room.

“Where is the phone at today?” Oliver asked.

“A moment, my lord,” the man stated, entering something into the computer in front of him. He then checked his screen before turning back to face Ra’s. “The phone is in Spain, near the city of Malaga.”

“Very well. Do we have an update on his assignment?”

“He sent a mission completed message two hours ago. That was sent to your office with the rest of the overnight messages.”

Oliver nodded at that. That was perfect actually for what he had planned, because if the assassin followed usual procedure, they would be leaving the city tonight or first thing tomorrow. Enough time for him to call someone and let Felicity track the phone there. Dig would give the information to Lyla, who would pass it on to Waller. The only question was if Waller would chase this down herself with a team or send just a team under someone else. The only difference that would make is the overall time it would take to do what he intended. Oliver left the communication center and went to his and Nyssa’s rooms. Settling into the leather chair in his reading area, he picked up the cell phone and dialed one of the preset numbers.

“Oliver? Is that you?” Felicity asked.

“Hey, Felicity,” Oliver answered back. “I got your message and called you back.”

“Can you give me like thirty minutes to get everybody here? We have some really big news to share with you and I know that the others will want to be here as well. And by big news, I mean news you won’t believe and will definitely want others to confirm and even then you might not believe it.”

“Relax, Felicity. Thirty minutes should be fine. I’m just sitting around, reading a book and watching the waves come to shore.”

“Thanks, Oliver. I’ll call you back as soon as the others get here,” Felicity told him before hanging up. It didn’t hit her until that point that Oliver had actually said something about where he was. Not that it necessarily helped with finding him, but it was the first time he’d ever done that when they talked. She immediately called Laurel, who was just finishing dinner with her family and Thea. Once they heard Oliver called, they agreed to hurry back to the lair. Dig was in the middle of getting baby Sara down, so he would be a little longer as the little girl wanted her daddy right now. She didn’t have a way of contacting Nyssa, but figured Laurel or Sara would take care of that. Or, perhaps not, as she doubted that Nyssa would be too interested in a conversation with Oliver.

When everyone was finally gathered, Felicity turned to her computers and placed the call. She had already set things up to record the call, as well as try to trace it. She put the call on speaker and they all waited for it to be answered.

“Hi, Felicity,” Oliver said.

“Well, everyone’s here now, so we can share our news. There’s some great news and some bad news, too,” Felicity told him.

“And you didn’t tell me about the bad news the first time you called because….”

“I was afraid if I told you it, you wouldn’t answer when we called with the great news.”

Oliver sighed at that. Since he already knew what their news was, he had to say that Felicity had a very accurate read on what his reaction to it would have been. However, they didn’t know that he knew. They also didn’t know that the only way they would find him, unless he wanted them to, would be if someone made a mistake. So, he decided to let the silence drag out a moment.

“Ollie, are you still there?” Thea asked.

“Yeah, Speedy, I’m still here,” Oliver told her.

“Why don’t we do the bad news first, just to get it out of the way. That way, the good news is that much better,” Felicity put in.

“OK, then what is the bad news?”

“Amanda Waller is looking for you,” Dig said. “She had Lyla brought in and told her that she wants to use you as the scapegoat for the whole bio-weapon attack last spring. And if we can’t find you for her, then Lyla and I take your place.”

“So, that’s what this call is? A chance to try and hunt me down for her?” Oliver asked.

“No. Lyla and I talked about it and just, no. The others want you to come here, help them take on Waller. But I know Waller and ARGUS, I know that wouldn’t work. All it would do is put them on ARGUS’ radar.”

“And sacrificing yourselves won’t stop her either,” Felicity told him.

“She’s right. It also wouldn’t stop her from just picking another person, until she finds just the right leverage. She’s starting with you and Lyla, next it might be Laurel or Felicity. She’d save Thea for last, because she knows that could be my breaking point or it could be the point where I use everything I’ve learned against her. Waller better than anyone knows just how deep the well of darkness within me goes, because she helped reveal it to me.”

“Then, what do we do?” Laurel asked.

“You do nothing. Track the phone, give her the information, buy Dig and Lyla some time. I won’t be here when they come, but it will show you’re trying,” Oliver told them. “Give me a couple of days to think about this and we’ll talk some more.”

“All right, just don’t hang up yet, because we haven’t told you the good news,” Felicity said, motioning Sara forward.

“Hello, Ollie,” Sara said, putting just the right amount of quiver into her voice.

“Sara?”

“I’ll give you some time to let it sink in.”

Oliver smiled at that, remembering her saying exactly that the last time he’d found out she was alive.

“How?” Oliver asked softly, trying to put a range of emotions into his voice, playing the part that they would expect if he was just learning about Sara.

“Nyssa convinced Ra’s to use the Lazarus Pit on her, then they somehow restored her soul to her body. She brought her here yesterday,” Laurel said.

“Are you home for good?”

“If you’re trying to ask about the League, just say it, Ollie,” Sara retorted.

“Fine,” Oliver replied. “Are you still in the League?”

“Yes, I’m still a member of the League. However, Ra’s has assigned me to Starling City for now. It suited his purposes and mine.”

“So, the new Ra’s didn’t release you even after you died for the League?”

“No,” was Sara's reply, “but he’s also not asking me to kill again, either.”

“I guess that’s something,” Oliver said. “Just, be safe, Sara.”

“Well, Nyssa’s got my back, so I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure you will. I’ll see you when I can.”

With that, Oliver hung up the phone. Thinking back over the call, he felt that he hadn’t given anything away. He’d played it well, acting happy, surprised and also concerned. He’d taken care not to push too hard, so that they didn’t get too deep into things. If pushed on it later, he would simply say that he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by asking too many questions. He also needed to start getting ready to leave for Starling City and a very pointed conversation with Amanda Waller.


	9. Baiting the Trap

Starling City

November 20, 2015

As soon as the call ended, everyone looked at Felicity. She, in turn, was watching her computer screens and hoping. She was certain that the call had been long enough for the trace to complete, unless he’d found some IT genius to reroute the traffic a dozen different ways. When the program completed, she did a little fist pump, because she had a location. The program was only able to get them within the radius of the cell tower his phone had been connected to but it was still a location.

“Where is he?” Dig asked, looking over her shoulder.

“He’s in Malaga, Spain,” Felicity said, her fingers flying over the keyboards, setting up new searches to try to find him. She was certain he wasn’t traveling on his own passport, so she doubted he’d be using his own name for hotels, meals or such. So, the first thing she did was set a search for all hotel rooms paid for in cash. She would then run searches on all the names produced, after she eliminated the ones it obviously couldn’t be.

Dig, in the meantime, was calling Lyla to pass on what they had so far. That way, Lyla could give it to Waller. He doubted that Waller would believe it, because he didn’t believe it either, to be honest. Not just because Oliver had told them to track the call, but because Malaga didn’t strike him as someplace to go if you’re trying to lay low. If it was him, he would stay off the beaten track. Waller would likely think that too, unless she thought Oliver was trying to do the opposite of what anyone would expect of him.

A beeping from Felicity’s computers brought them all over to her.

“Looks like a break-in at Kord Industries,” Felicity told them as she hacked her way into the security cameras. “And look, guess who it is.”

“Suit up, everybody,” Dig said.

“I’ll meet you there,” Sara told them, running for the exit.

By the time the team had changed into their costumes and were on their way, Sara had reached her safe house. She ran upstairs and undressed quickly, then proceeded to put on her Canary costume. She also selected a few weapons and ran back out. She smiled as she got back on her motorcycle and raced off into the night. She had missed this, the feel of the wind on her face, the sound of the engine, being alive. She took a moment to savor the feeling, then told herself to focus on what she was going to be doing.

Sara arrived just as Team Arrow did, sliding off her bike to join them. As they approached the scene, they heard gunshots but not aimed at them. Dig didn’t have to say a word as the group rushed to the open front doors. The entryway separated with a hall going in each direction. Dig motioned Thea and Sara to go right, while he and Laurel went left. Both groups had communication devices so that Felicity could track them and let them know what she was seeing.

“There’s a pair ahead of you at the corner, Thea,” Felicity said.

Thea and Sara edged closer and took a peek. The two men were pushing a loaded cart their way, which meant that their hands were full at the moment. The two women decided to take advantage of that and rushed around the corner, Thea firing an arrow into the one on the left, while Sara used her baton on the one to the right.

“Fucking Bitch,” the man with the arrow in his shoulder said.

“Want to repeat that?” Sara asked just before she slammed her baton into his throat, then followed it with the punch to the mouth. The man was left gasping for air and spitting blood. “I didn’t think so.”

Thea used two pairs of zip cuffs to secure the pair before they moved on. She could hear the others reporting in, but it sounded like they hadn’t found anything yet. When another gun shot rang out, Sara could tell it was both close and up ahead of them.

“It looks like the main group is in a vault area, but they can’t get into the big vault. So, they’re trying to force someone to open it,” Felicity said.

“Where, Felicity?” Dig asked.

“Near where Sara and Thea are. If they go to the end of the hall that they are currently in and turn right, the doors are just ahead of them.”

“Moving that way now.”

Sara and Thea continued moving forward, but going slowly. This was to make sure they didn’t get ambushed by someone coming out of that area, but also to give Dig and Laurel time to reach them. For the moment, Sara put her batons away and grabbed a pair of knives. If someone did come out, she could throw the knives. By the time they reached the end of the hall, Dig and Laurel had joined them.

“Is there any cover in that room that we can use?” Dig asked.

“Some, but not a lot,” Felicity replied. “A few rows of shelves, but everything empties out about half way, then it’s all open space.”

“OK, we stay to cover as best we can and work our way as close as we can.”

The four of them entered the room and took to the rows of shelving. They could all see the vault area and each did a silent count of those standing with weapons. Sara was forced to hide when she saw one of the men head her way. She waited until he was right next to her hiding place, then thrust her knife into his kidney while clamping her hand over his mouth. She then jammed the knife into his throat and pulled the body into the shelf, hiding it from view.

Thea wasn’t so fortunate, as she got seen before she could hide. At that point, the alarm was raised among the thieves. Most of them ran towards the team with guns blazing, while a couple were still trying to get into the vault. Dig was shooting back, but they were running into the same problems that they had had before with this group. They were too heavily armed and wearing too much protective gear for Dig’s pistol to be effective, unless he went for head shots.

Sara was managing to take down a few with well aimed knives, but she seemed to be the only one. To make matters worse, the SCPD finally showed up. Problem was, they were going after both sides and seemed to be as heavily armed as the criminals they were facing. Not wanting to fight them, Dig had no choice but to tell the team to break it off and get away. Sara could tell he wasn’t happy, but knew he’d made the right call.

The ride back to the lair was silent. Dig, Laurel and Thea had all noticed Sara during the fight. How her knives were aimed to kill, not wound. Of them, only Thea really understood, because that was how she had been trained as well. Sara was still League of Assassins and they viewed mercy as weakness, taking prisoners was not something that they did. And while she had put that aside when she’d worked with the team before, it was still there. Dig knew he needed to talk with her about that and it needed to be now, not later.

“Sara, can we talk?” Dig asked as she walked into the lair.

Sara followed him to a private spot near the entrance to the lair from inside Palmer Technologies. She was curious as to what this was about, but not terribly concerned. Yes, tonight hadn’t ended well, but it certainly wasn’t her fault. They were outmatched, plain and simple.

“What happened out there, Sara? Because you know that we don’t kill, not anymore.”

“Bullshit,” Sara said staring at Dig. “Or are you forgetting Oliver killing Nyssa’s father? Or the Assassins you all killed trying to rescue Oliver from the League? You want to get judgmental because I choose to take those guys out rather than let them kill me or one of you, go right ahead. You seem to have it down to a science.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I saw the look you gave me when I compared Thea to Oliver, how she was becoming a hero like he had been. Tell me, did you pull the same crap on him that you just tried with me. ‘Killing’s wrong, Oliver. You need to find a different way.’ Never mentioning that your way just results in his enemies having a chance for round 2, round 3 and however many more until someone finally puts them in the ground. Kind of like the Count. You remember him, right? I know Felicity does, considering he would have killed her if Oliver hadn’t killed him first.”

Dig at least has the good grace to look a little embarrassed at that. Not that he would have objected strongly if Oliver had killed the Count the first time they’d encountered him, given what had happened with Thea. But he had been slightly relieved that there had been a different outcome. Then, Vertigo had cropped up again and while the Count had been innocent that time, it could be argued that if Oliver had killed him, then that doctor never would have been able to reverse engineer the drug using tissue samples from the Count. Strike three had been when the Count managed to escape and terrorize the city with his drug once again, ending when Oliver had put arrows into his chest and he fell out a window at Queen Consolidated.

“Nyssa told Oliver the night of Slade’s Siege that his city falls because he fails to do what is necessary. She and I both hoped that he and the rest of you would take that lesson to heart. Yet, here we are over a year later and you still seem to think that you can save this city while fighting with one hand tied behind your backs,” Sara told him.

“And your first move now seems to be aimed to kill,” Dig responded.

“No, my first move is to do whatever it takes. When we’re outnumbered and going up against men in body armor carrying fully automatic weapons, I’m looking to put them down hard, so that they stay down. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re in a war here."

“Except, if we do things that way, the police will be after us as well. When Oliver stopped dropping a bunch of bodies, the police backed off on coming after him. That meant they were able to handle more criminal activity.”

Sara sighed at that. It was becoming clear that she wouldn’t get through to Dig, at least not without more arguments. And quite honestly, she didn’t have the energy for it. Besides, this wasn’t her team, she was just giving them a little help. This was Dig’s team now. She only worried about Thea and Laurel getting hurt because they were following Dig’s lead. Then again, she could always go out alone as Ta-er al-Sahfer, rather than the Canary. And then, she could act like the Assassin she is.

ARGUS Headquarters

November 22, 2015

Amanda Waller was standing near her desk, watching the satellite imagery showing Malaga, Spain. A team of ARGUS agents had been sent to find Oliver, based on the information Lyla had given her. She had no reason to doubt the accuracy of the information, as she knew the ultimate source was Felicity Smoak. The IT genius had been on ARGUS’ radar since she was in grade school, just hoping that she would be as skilled and as dirty as her father. It had turned out that she was infinitely more skilled, as evidenced by her graduating MIT at age 19 with a Masters in Computer Sciences and Cyber Security, summa cum laude. And even though she was the author of the virus that her boyfriend had used, she wasn’t nearly as dirty as her father was, unless one counted her work with Oliver Queen and his team.

Still, Waller would have been tempted to ‘recruit’ her then, if not for the interest in her by companies like Wayne Enterprises, Queen Consolidated and Kord Industries. That was too much interest for ARGUS to bring her on board and then have her effectively disappear. So, Waller had backed off, knowing that she would get her chance at some point. She believed that Felicity would eventually follow the path of her father and she would be waiting when she did. If not, she’d make up something to trap her with. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d done it, after all.

Waller was thinking about that when her office phone rang. Looking at the display, she was surprised to see a number that she didn’t instantly recognize. So, she followed standard procedure and initiated a trace of the call, as well as a recording. Only when that was done did she answer the phone.

“Waller.”

“I understand that you’re looking for me,” Oliver said, his tone cold and serious. “Why?”

“If you know that I’m looking for you, then you must know why,” Waller told him, smiling.

“No, I know the fiction that you told as your excuse. And you and I both know it’s a lie, because you wouldn’t have shared the truth in any way that it might get back to me. So, try again.”

“Whether it is the truth or not shouldn’t be your concern, Oliver. Your concern should be that people will believe it is the truth.”

“And yours should be the public’s reaction when they find out that you hired a mercenary named Edward Fyers to shoot down a civilian airliner, just so that you could kill one person. Or that what happened in Hong Kong wasn’t a chemical spill, but rather the release of the Alpha/Omega virus by General Shrieve and his men. Interestingly enough, Shrieve and you worked together to steal that virus before he went rogue on you. Shall I go on?” Oliver asked.

“You can try and claim all of that, it wouldn’t change a thing. Because before you could get to anyone influential enough to do anything, my people would have already scooped you up,” Waller told him.

“From Malaga, right? Hope they enjoy the Mediterranean sea air.”

The laughter that came over the line at that got Waller to look at her computer and curse. He wasn’t in Malaga anymore, now he was in the Canary Islands.

“You couldn’t have believed it would be that easy, Amanda,” Oliver said, still chuckling as he heard Waller ordering satellite coverage of the Canary Islands and that the team be redirected based on the new information.

“It doesn’t matter, because I will find you. And if you do make good on your claims, they won’t be believed without proof. Proof that you don’t have.”

“Do you want to bet on that, Amanda? Or should I give you a sample of the proof that I don’t have? Say the account that was used to pay for the S-300 missile launcher that you had shipped to Fyers and the trail of dummy accounts leading back to an ARGUS account that the director controls. You are still the director of ARGUS, aren’t you?”

“And what do you want in exchange for not releasing that information, Mister Queen?” Waller asked.

“You to forget you ever knew me, as well as you leaving my former team and their families alone,” Oliver told her.

“And if I can’t do that?”

“Then my releasing this information will be the least of your worries.”

Waller had to fight to keep from laughing at that. He was actually going to try to threaten her in that manner. The leaks would be bothersome, to be sure, but she had weathered worse. The country needed her and those in power knew it. Beside, Oliver Queen, for all of his skills (and those skills were why she needed him), was simply one man. One man against the whole of ARGUS? No, she had nothing to fear from him.

“If you have nothing more than empty threats to offer, then I have more important things to do,” Waller told him as she hung up the phone.

On the other end of the phone, Oliver just smiled. Putting the phone away, he turned to the window and looked out at the skyline of Starling City as the plane came in for a landing at the private airport. There were a trio of cars waiting off to the side when the business jet taxied over to the hanger, as well as one from the customs service. He wasn’t too worried about that, because he knew that the agent would be much more deferential to the wealthy traveler than he would be to someone who’d traveled commercial.

Oliver and the assassins that were accompanying him were all dressed in expensive suits and handmade shoes. The pilot opened the door for the agent and quickly handled all of their paperwork, with the agent wishing them a welcome to the United States on his way off the plane. One of his group laughed a little once the agent was truly gone, looking back at Oliver.

“He never even looked at you, my lord,” the Assassin said. “Or any of us for that matter.”

“He saw what he expected to see, so he never looked beyond the surface appearance,” Oliver told him as he stood and walked off the plane. Two of the assassins accompanying him got into the lead car, two others got into the trail car and Oliver and one assassin got into the van along with the groups luggage.

“Greetings, my lord. Everything is in readiness, as you ordered,” Salah told Oliver as their convoy drove off. “Would you prefer to go to the hotel first or to our base?”

“The hotel first. It will give us all a chance to refresh ourselves and the rest of the Shadows are not due to be there until this evening.”

“That is correct. The ones working at ARGUS can not make it until then.”

As they drove into the city, Oliver couldn’t help looking out the window of the van. It had only been six months since he was last here, but the city looked worse than it had. He felt a momentary stab of depression at the thought before reminding himself that there was still time to arrest the city’s slide. Time before he would feel compelled to have the League act more directly. Because the last thing he wanted was to cleanse the city, though he would if it became necessary.

When the convoy reached the hotel, they went into the parking garage. Salah had reserved the entire floor when getting the suite for Sara and Nyssa, something that was customary for important members of the League. After Ra’s, there was none more important that his wife. Oliver and the rest got out of the vehicles. One member went and activated the elevator, while the rest got the luggage out of the van. Looking at everything, Oliver knew that it would take two trips to get it all upstairs. The division of trips was easy, as the priority was getting him out of view and secure. Oliver, Salah and three assassins came up in the first trip.

In the hallway, Salah handed over room keys to Oliver and the others. As they went to their rooms, he waited until the rest of the group came up with the luggage. Oliver checked the card for the room number, then went to that door and opened it. When he stepped inside, he was not surprised to find that it was actually a suite. Nor was he surprised to find Nyssa and Sara sitting on the couch, even though he had not told them he would be coming to Starling City.

“Welcome home, Husband,” Nyssa said with a smirk.

“Nanda Parbat is my home now, Nyssa,” Oliver replied. “I am simply here briefly on business.”

Business that neither I nor Sara could have handled for you?”

“No, this called for a more personal touch.”

“So, what is the business that required your presence?” Sara asked, keeping her voice low to prevent anyone but the three of them from hearing her questioning the Demon’s Head.

“Amanda Waller,” Oliver said. “Since she would not listen to reason, perhaps she’ll listen to power.”

“So, Ra’s al Ghul will threaten the head of ARGUS?” Nyssa asked with a smile.

“No. I’ve decided that the time for threats has passed, as I do not trust Amanda to keep any promise she might make to me under such conditions.”

“And you are certain of your plan, Husband?”

“I am, because it is the only option that ends this permanently. As well, the League exists to replace evil with death. The things that Amanda Waller has done or attempted to do qualify as evil, as far as I am concerned. Just because she heads a government agency doesn’t change that, nor does the fact that she was concerned for the greater good,” Oliver said, looking at Nyssa and Sara to see if they had any objection.

“And what about your former team?” Nyssa asked.

“If we do this right, they won’t be able to interfere. Tonight, you both will take a team and search for this group that has been bothering my former team. When you find them, the others will join you. Once you have defeated them, you will call in Team Arrow by having one of the Shadows call the SCPD.”

“And while they’re distracted with that, you go after Waller. As Ra’s al Ghul or Oliver Queen?”

“It doesn’t really make a difference, does it? Because either way, it will be the last face she ever sees,” Oliver said.


	10. Crossing the Rubicon

Starling City

November 22, 2015

Oliver stood waiting in the main room of the League’s base in Starling City. He was flanked by Nyssa and Sara. To the sides were the assassins he’d brought with him, as well as the ones who were summoned to the city and the shadows based here, all but two. Those two, however, were the most critical for tonight’s plans, as they were both inside of ARGUS. One worked in the command center, while the other was in their technical services as a computer programmer. Oliver knew that their value was beyond measure and he knew that they would likely be the last to show.

The sound of a light footfall was enough to alert the others, as everyone’s attention focused toward the entrance. The pair that came into view couldn’t have been more different if they tried and looked almost comical next to each other, even dressed in the League’s uniform. He was tall, almost 6 feet 7 inches, while she was short at just over 5 feet. Where he was dark complected and had closely cropped black hair, she was so pale as to almost be transparent and wore her whitish-blonde hair in a bun.

“An-Nur, it is good to see you again,” Nyssa said to the woman, “and you as well Nadeem”

“Thank you, my lady. It is good to be in the company of so many of my brothers and sisters again,” An-Nur said with a smile. “Nadeem has news.”

“Indeed? Of what nature?” Oliver asked, looking at the tall man.

“One of my fellow programmers has been working on a special project. Today, he let slip that it was finished and ready for testing, though he was not sure how they would be able to completely test it. He and I have become friends over our time there, so he told me more than he should have. This program, which he called ‘Rubicon’, will allow whoever controls it to stop any other nations from launching their nuclear missiles. He was very excited about the idea, saying that he was sure Waller would give him what he had asked for because of this,” Nadeem told them.

It was only by a force of will that Oliver was able not to react. Because he could see the flaws in something like that. If this program gave the kind of access needed to stop the missiles from launching, it also gave all the access needed to actually launch them. He wondered if Waller knew that was a possibility when she started the project and just ignored it. Or, did she know and that was exactly what she was looking for. The later definitely wouldn’t surprise him in the least. After all, what better way to get someone to do what you want that with a nuclear weapon aimed at their heads with the button in the hands of someone with absolutely not regard for human life.

“Would you be able to get access to the program and delete it?”

“Given enough time, yes. Anything can be hacked if you’re already inside the system. Or, I have a nasty computer virus I’ve been waiting for an excuse to actually use. The only downside to that is it will also infect and destroy all the other data in ARGUS’ system. Question is, do we care?”

“We do care, but the risks of this getting in the wrong hands may make such a step necessary,” Oliver stated. “We also need to deal with the person who created this program. Because if they still have access to him, they could just get him to recreate it.”

“I understand, my lord,” Nadeem replied, a touch of sadness in his tone, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Oliver, Nyssa or Sara. It was one of the inherent dangers of life as a Shadow. In building the connections necessary to get the information you needed, you got close to the other person. You learned about their lives, their families, their hopes and dreams. You also knew that the information you gathered could lead to their death. Most of the time, the other person was someone evil enough that you could ignore it. But every so often, there was something like this. A person who had to die because they knew something that was too dangerous.

“Tonight, we will have three missions that will all be part of the whole, yet independent of one another. Nyssa and Ta-er al-Sahfer were lead two teams on the first mission. There is a group of criminals in this city that the police and the city’s vigilantes have been unable to stop. They are heavily armed and do not care how many innocents get harmed. We will find them and we will destroy them tonight. This mission will also serve to distract the vigilantes while we carry out the other missions. Tonight, we are going to eliminate the threat posed by the director of ARGUS, Amanda Waller. That will be my mission. As that is happening, Nadeem and An-Nur will go back to ARGUS. They will deal with this ‘Rubicon’ and the person who created it. Nyssa will give you your assignments.”

With that, Nyssa walked to each of the Assassins and Shadows, telling them which team they were on. The ones on Nyssa and Ta-er al-Sahfer’s teams looked almost happy about it, knowing that they would likely face a good fight tonight. The two Assassins that were going with Oliver looked stoic, as befitted a Horseman and his apprentice. An-Nur was quietly talking to Nadeem, who looked ready but definitely not happy. Worried about that, he walked over to them and motioned for them to follow him.

“Nadeem?” Oliver asked softly, mindful of the others being near.

“My apologies, my lord. I know this is the will of Ra’s al Ghul, but….”

“Nadeem feels badly, as do I, my lord. We have been in ARGUS for over ten years now. We know this man who you have condemned. He has been a prisoner of ARGUS for over 15 years. Yes, he was a criminal, but now he is just a man would longs to see his daughter. If he had been arrested for his crimes, he would have at least been allowed visits, yet he had not seen her since she was 7 years old. He knows about the life she has had, to a degree, but only that which Waller tells him,” An-Nur said.

“Waller once told him she would fake some charges and get his daughter arrested when he refused to work on a project to create a release system for a virus. Said she’d arrange a perfect little family reunion for him, the pair of them in matching orange jumpsuits. He tried to kill himself after that, but they stopped him and moved him to a more secure cell afterwards,” Nadeem added.

“I appreciate you both telling me what you have and I can sympathize with the man to a degree, but I see no solution to it. If we were to simply release him from ARGUS, it would likely only be a matter of time before they recaptured him or someone worse did. As I said, if someone has him, then they could recreate this Rubicon. I cannot allow that to happen.”

“My lord, could we not take him to Nanda Parbat? I am certain he could be of use to the League, with his computer skills.”

Oliver weighed their words, considering what they were proposing as well as the dangers of the suggestion. The League had need of people with expertise in technology, of that there was no doubt. But did that offset the fact that this man had objected enough to what Waller was forcing him to do that he was willing to kill himself to get out of it. What if he had similar objections about the League’s mission and instead of trying to end his life, he managed to flee instead. True, he would likely not last long, but what if it was long enough to pass on Rubicon or something similar. The theoretical fate of millions versus the real fate of one man. Sadly, it was no choice in his mind.

“An-Nur, Nadeem. If you are not able to do this, I will understand and have another carry out that task,” Oliver told them. “But it must be done.”

“I will do it, my lord, so that I might make his passing as painless as possible,” Nadeem said, acceding to the will of Ra’s al Ghul.

Oliver walked away, removing his cell phone with a grim look on his face. He saw that Nyssa, Sara and their teams had left while he was conversing with the pair of Shadows. The timing of this was going to be almost impossible to get exactly right, but he hoped that the first part would be beginning within the next two hours. Using that as a guide, he waited thirty minutes before sending Nadeem and An-Nur on their way. Then, he made a call.

“Twice in one day, Mr. Queen,” Waller said as she answered. “Getting lonely on the run.”

“Not particularly, though I wouldn’t mind some company. Perhaps you’re free this evening. We could get together for drinks and talk,” Oliver replied.

“Don’t think I could make it to the Canary Islands tonight.”

“I was thinking more like Verdant, actually. It shouldn’t be crowded, so plenty of room.”

Waller froze at that before looking at her computer screen. She bit back the curse that came from her as she saw that this call was coming from Starling City. Had he been here the whole time, just taunting her and sending her agents off on wild goose chases. Oh, she would make sure to repay him for this. Reaching over, she pressed a button activating a silent call.

“And when were you thinking we could get together?” Waller asked.

“Whenever is good for you, Amanda. I’ve got plenty of time to kill and there’s plenty to drink here, while I’m waiting for you,” Oliver said.

“I could be there in a couple of hours.”

“That’s fine. But if I see your friends come without you, I should warn you that the bouncer came be a little aggressive, shall we say.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

Oliver hung up the phone with a laugh. He would think that this was going to be too easy, but he knew Amanda Waller. She was likely already alerting a strike team to go to Verdant and capture him. He also knew that she would be right behind them, intending to gloat when she captured him, just like she had in Coast City. This time, though, he would have the upper hand.

Oliver and the assassins with him left the base and got into a black SUV for the drive over to Verdant. As they were driving into the Glades, his telephone beeped with a message. Looking at it, he smiled. Nyssa had found the group and Sara’s team was on its way there. Oliver texted back a simple “Happy Hunting” and got a smile emoji in return. Putting the phone back away, he relaxed a little for the rest of the drive, now that phase one was well underway.

Starling City

November 22, 2015

At a warehouse down by the docks, Nyssa stood on a rooftop watching the activity occurring in the one opposite her. By her count, there were ten members of this group including the leader. They were unloading what was obviously a stolen truck. From the way that they were setting certain things aside, it felt like they were looking for something in particular. She almost wondered if it would be useful to keep one of them alive, just to see what their plans had been. Then again, if they killed them all, whatever their plans were died with them.

“Hello, Beloved,” Nyssa said softly.

“Never will be able to sneak up on you,” Sara replied with a sigh. “So, how do you want to do this?”

“Trap them between our two groups would be best, would it not?”

“Yes, but that isn’t what I meant. I meant, do we want to take them all out and then call it in. Or do we want to call them first?”

Nyssa thought about that. This had two goals, take out this group of criminals and distract team Arrow so that they were less likely to interfere with the rest of the night’s events. They didn’t need them to take down the group and even when they sent half of their forces back, it would still be that way. But having team Arrow here would provide an excellent distraction for them, though they would likely insist on their ‘no-kill’ policy and unnecessarily complicate matters.

“Have them come now,” Nyssa said, turning her full attention to the warehouse opposite. “I would suggest haste as well or we may have to begin without them.”

Sara quickly called Felicity and filled her in. They were betting that the team would be somewhere in the area, as it was late enough for them to be on patrol. And the docks and the Glades were the two most crime ridden areas, so it was safe to assume that those would be where the team placed its efforts. That belief was validated when they heard the sound of an arrow about ten minutes later, followed by two pairs of feet hitting the gravel of the rooftop.

“Thanks for coming, Speedy,” Sara said as she turned to face Thea and Laurel. “Hey, Sis.”

“Sara,” Thea replied with a smile, “Nyssa.”

“Sister-in-law. Come, we have work to do.”

“Dig’s at the end of the building on ground level, waiting for your signal.”

“Indeed? Then, I suppose I should signal him,” Nyssa said with a grin as she knocked an arrow and fired it into one of the men unloading the truck. That arrow seemed to be the signal for a barrage of arrows that took down five of the men below. With that, assassins dropped from the building and the one that the criminals were in. Thea, Laurel and Dig joined them, making the fight very short and completely unfair. In the end, there were two survivors who had been subdued by Laurel and Dig. The rest were killed with arrows, including one by Thea.

When the fight was over, Dig and Laurel started looking through what the criminals had stolen, trying to piece together what the importance was. They gathered up all of the paperwork that they could find, as well as taking pictures of the marking on the crates. They would give it all over to Felicity and see if she would dig deeper. A lot of it they couldn’t make heads or tails of. The sound of sirens in the distance is what finally ended their search, as the last thing they wanted to do was be here when the police arrived.

“Thank you for calling us about this,” Laurel said to Nyssa and Sara.

“We knew what a danger they were and thought you might like to see that danger ended,” Nyssa told her.

“We should get dinner later tonight or maybe an early breakfast.”

“Perhaps. But for now, you have things you need to do and we do as well.”

“Call us, Sis, when you’re done. We’ll be around,” Sara said as she and Nyssa ran towards the edge of the roof before leaping to the next building over. Laurel watched until they were out of view, then turned to make her way to where Dig waited with the van. After she got in, they drove off. A mutual decision was made to head back to base and have Felicity get started on the evidence that they had found. They’d stopped the group tonight and it should be a permanent victory, but they needed to do whatever they could to make sure that actually happened.

Once they were away from the scene and the other team, Nyssa and Sara stopped on a rooftop. Nyssa removed her phone and sent a quick text to Oliver letting him know that their part was completed. The response was for her and Sara to come to Verdant with their teams. This got a broad smile out of both the women, as they had hoped to be there when it happened. Together, they raced across the rooftops from the docks into the Glades, tracking towards Verdant. They were about a block away when they caught sight of the convoy heading that way. Four large black SUVs, all riding low on their suspensions marking them as heavily armored.

“It appears that Miss Waller wants to make sure your party is crowded, Husband,” Nyssa said into the phone.

“I figured as much. Nobody does anything until we make sure that she is there,” Oliver warned.

“Of course not. We have done this sort of thing before.”

Oliver smirked at the hurt tone in Nyssa’s voice. “I know, though that was not against her. And I want the rat to have completely taken the bait before we spring this trap.”

Before Nyssa could say anything else, Oliver’s phone beeped with a text message. Looking, he was surprised to see it was from Nadeem. Opening it, he almost dropped the phone in shock. Sucking in a deep breath, he sent back a quick response before he turned his attention away from the device as he heard the sound of car doors closing outside.

“Showtime,” Oliver whispered as he faded into the shadows of the closed club.

Nyssa went silent at that, as she, Sara and their teams rushed to get there. She kept counting as more and more bodies climbed out of the SUVs. Then she saw her, Amanda Waller was there. She didn’t know if it was ego, hubris or just the thought that she was untouchable, but there was no reason for her to be anywhere near here. Nyssa almost wanted to laugh when the woman walked through the host of agents and headed for the doors to the closed nightclub. She looked at Sara and the others, making sure that they were in position and ready. Seeing that they were, all they had to do was wait. The darkness around the club made for plenty of shadows.

“Now,” came the call over Nyssa’s phone.

At a nod, Sara fired the first arrow while Nyssa put the phone away and took up her bow as well. The agents never knew what hit them, as the arrows seemed to come out of nowhere. A few of the agents just adopted a spray and pray philosophy to their shooting, as they emptied their magazines into the darkness. It didn’t stop the rain of arrows.

Inside the club, things weren’t going any better, though the fighting here was more personal. The only arrow fired had been an injection arrow filled with a paralytic aimed at Amanda Waller, which caused her to drop to the floor. She could only watch helplessly as what seemed like ghosts used knives and swords to cut the agents inside to pieces. She had never seen anything like this, ever. Then, she felt a pinprick on the side of her neck before darkness overcame her.

When it was over, two large moving trucks pulled up to the club. The assembled assassins moved quickly to clean up the bodies, as well as any evidence. While they were doing that, Oliver carried Waller over to an SUV and put her in the back of it. He got in beside a driver and they left the area. Only when they could find nothing else did Sara, Nyssa and the others leave as well. The trucks and the ARGUS SUVs were driven to the docks, left near a warehouse known to be used by the Triad. A call would be placed later to the SCPD regarding suspicious activity, but not just yet. Other things needed to happen first.

ARGUS Headquarters

November 22, 2015

Nadeem and An-Nur walked into the building and stopped at security to swipe their badges. The guards here knew both of them by name, but that didn’t make them deviate from standard operating procedure one bit. Not even for someone as well liked as Nadeem and An-Nur both were. Once they were both through, the pair split up and headed for their own departments.

An-Nur went into the command center and smiled at the agent in charge of the shift.

“What brings you in so late?” the man asked.

“Some paperwork I need Waller to sign off on. Not that she will, but I can always hope,” An-Nur replied.

“Ah, looking for a little vacation time?”

“Yep. A friend had a place in the mountains, good spot to get away and let all of this go.”

“Well, I wouldn’t count on her approving. She and a whole bunch of agents tore out of here like Satan himself was on their heels,” he told her.

“Damn. Do you mind if I just drop this on her desk then? Maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll be in a good mood when she gets back,” An-Nur said with a smile, the both of them knowing how unlikely that was.

“If you’re betting on those kind of odds, never go to a Casino.”

The pair of them laughed as he waved her away. An-Nur walked into Waller’s office, paying careful attention to everything, all while not appearing to do so. She laid the folder she was carrying on the desk along with a thumb drive she slipped from her pants pocket, then walked out of the office and through the command center, saying good night to a few friends on the night shift. Once she was back in the hallway, she turned left instead of the right needed to head back towards the exit. Instead, she want down towards the employee break-room, which just happened to be next to the electrical room. Slipping in there, she checked in with Nadeem.

Nadeem had been busy as well, though much less interrupted as he had his own office. Once he was in there, he’d connected to the intranet and looked for Rubicon. It took a few moments, but then he found it. Working quickly, he tried to delete the program first. When that failed, he tried corrupting the directory that it was in. Only after that failed did Nadeem upload his virus, knowing that this would work. Part one was done, now it was on to part two.

Leaving his office, he walked down to where the cells were. The area was an oft-used path between parts of the building, so it wasn’t unusual to see an agent heading that way. Nadeem walked over to the cell he was looking for and knocked lightly on the window. As he waited for the man inside to turn, something caught his eye. It was a picture, one he’d seen several times. A picture of the man’s daughter, walking with a pair of men. He’d never really paid it much attention, knowing that Waller had used it and others like it to keep the man in line. Tonight, he did look at it, knowing that he was about to take that young woman’s father from her forever. And for the first time, he paid attention to its details. And those details stopped him, his hand reaching for his cell phone before he could consciously process what he had seen.

Nadeem took a picture of the photo and sent it. A moment later came a brief reply. The man in the cell looked at Nadeem and give his acquaintance a smile. At that moment, the power cut out and the locks cycled. Nadeem quickly opened the door to the cell.

“Grab anything you want to take quickly,” Nadeem told the man.

The man grabbed his pillow case and used it to hold the pictures he removed from the walls. He then found the sweater that he sometimes wore when in the networking room. His clothes were thin and the room was cool, as that was better for the equipment. Ready, he walked along behind Nadeem as they made their way to the entrance. An-Nur was there waiting for them, a look of surprise on her face at seeing Nadeem had someone with him before she realized who it was.

“I will go first and distract the guard. Try to hurry as the power will be back on momentarily,” An-Nur told them, before stepping out into the security area by the front doors. She smiled at the guard that was there, before asking him about the latest movie that had come out.

Nadeem watched An-Nur work her magic with the guard and then walked through the door, the other man right beside him. The guard didn’t even look up as the pair walked out the doors. An-Nur heard them close, but waited about thirty seconds before she bid the guard goodnight. She was halfway to their car when the power came back on in the building. It took another minute or so before the security cameras came back online and the first sign that something was wrong came into view. The night shift supervisor ordered an immediate search of the building, while he also tried to call Director Waller. He was perplexed that the call wasn’t answered, with his concern rising as call after call went unanswered.

By the time the search of the building was done, they found one prisoner missing. As this was being reported, the supervisor had reluctantly come to the conclusion that he needed to call Director Waller’s superior. The Director of Homeland Security ordered an immediate lock down of the facility until a team from Washington could arrive on site. A team of off-duty agents would be recruited to begin the search for Director Waller.

Starling City

November 23, 2015

Amanda Waller came to slowly, only to find that she was definitely no longer in Verdant. This room, wherever it was, was made of out what looked like poured concrete blocks. The only light was by flickering torches on the walls. She couldn’t see a door, given the shadows that surrounded her. She took her time and focused on getting her wits about her, as her head was still a little fuzzy. Then came the sound of metal scraping against the concrete, deliberate and slow. It sounded like it was behind her, then it stopped for a moment. When it came again, it was in front of her.

Waller tried to turn, to locate the source of the noise, only to discover that she was strapped to the chair she was sitting in. Not just once or twice, but multiple times. The chair was a wooden one, like from a dinning room set. Two straps crossed her chest, holding her secure to the chair back. Another three each secured her arms to the chair’s arms, holding them flat, with her hands resting on the ends. Her lap had two belts as well, one like a seat belt and the other going over her thighs and under the chair’s seat. Another pair on each leg fused them to the chair legs. She tried to rock the chair backwards, but found that it didn’t move.

The sound came again and this time she knew it was in front of her, as three pairs of legs came into view. Amanda Waller prided herself on her stony demeanor, yet inside she felt a chill pass through her as the trio before her came further into view. She’d been the Director of ARGUS long enough to recognize the uniforms that the trio wore. The League of Assassins and ARGUS had been on opposite sides often enough, with ARGUS always coming out the worse for it. She was confused as to why they were there, or why they had taken her, until she remembered that Oliver Queen had been the reason the League attacked Starling City. Had they been at Verdant to capture him for their own reasons when she had arrived with her agents.

“Ah, good to see you are finally awake, Miss Waller,” came a soft female voice. “Now, we can begin.”

“Begin what?” Waller asked.

“A reckoning,” came a harsher voice. “One where the pain that you’ve caused is visited upon you in equal measure.”

Waller had no time to react to that before the piece of steel re-bar that the assassin held came crashing down upon her left forearm. She bit down, trying to stem the scream that threatened to tear loose. She wasn’t so lucky when the next blow shattered the bones in her left hand. She screamed loud and long at that, while the assassin waited patiently for her to relax again. The trio stepped closer, so that she could now get a good look at them in the light. One of them, a woman, pulled back the hood of her uniform and Waller flinched as she recognized Nyssa al Ghul.

“Ah, I see you remember me, Miss Waller. I am not surprised, given how many times you tried to have me captured or killed,” Nyssa said with a smile. “And now, my husband has captured you instead. It is ironic, is it not?”

“Those blows were for Yao Fei and Shado who died on Lian Yu because of you,” the man said, before striking again, this time on the left shin, the left foot and the left thigh. He paused between each strike, letting her scream out her agony, taking his time to inflict maximum suffering. “For Maseo, Tatsu and Akio Yamashiro. Two parents who lost their only son because of what you set in motion.”

“I did what was necessary,” Waller said through gritted teeth, blood staining her teeth from her biting her tongue as she screamed, “There are people in this world who deal only in extremes. It's naive to think that anything less than extreme measures will stop them.”

“Yes, it is. And since you are one of those people, that is why I am doing this,” he said as he lowered his hood, revealing Oliver Queen. “You thought I had a talent for torture, I guess we’ll see if you’re right.”

The next three hours were a continuation of the pattern. Oliver would strike a part of Waller’s body with the steel rod, followed by a list of one of her wrongs. A list that was not just focused on those he knew or had met while he was forced to work with ARGUS. By the time he was done, her arms, legs and collarbone were all broken in multiple places. Both her hands and feet were shattered. She was barely conscious at the end, merely whimpering at the pain of each blow. Oliver finally stopped, as he wanted her to be conscious at the end. He reached over and slapped her face.

“Only one last crime you need to pay for. This is for a father you ripped from his daughter. A daughter you then used to torment this man with for almost twenty years. A family broken because of you,” Oliver told her.

“Ah, your precious Miss Smoak,” Amanda said with a smile. “I should have known she was involved in this, somehow.”

“No, she’s not. She would have tried to stop me before we got to this part, because, from the moment she knew about what I truly was, she was trying to convince me that I should follow a different path. And I tried, for a while, to do as she asked. But that darkness that you helped cultivate within me, the man who could torture someone to get what you wanted from them, that’s always going to be a part of me. I don’t want that around her, where the darkness within me might dim the light inside of her. But we digress and the hour is growing late, so let us conclude this.”

With those words, Oliver took the steel rod and slammed it down on top of Amanda Waller’s head. He repeated this again and again and again, counting until he reached eighteen. One blow for each year Felicity had been without her father, not knowing whether he was alive or not, believing that he had left because of some failing of hers. Waller was dead long before the final blow fell, as the force of the blows had caved in her skull and caused a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Once he was done, he dropped the bar next to the chair and left the room. Nyssa and Sara followed along behind him, keeping a close eye on him. They both had seen some brutal things before, but this was on another level and they both worried a little about how Oliver would handle what he’d done.

“Dispose of the body. Somewhere that it will be found, but not for a day or two,” Oliver told one of the assassins in the main hall, before facing the whole room and addressing them. “You have performed magnificently this night. Not only have we destroyed a group of criminals who were causing this city to sink lower into the pit of crime and corruption, we have crippled ARGUS by killing their director and destroying a number of there electronic files. When they choose a new director, I hope it will be one not so willing to do evil while pursuing noble goals. For now, know that you have my appreciation as you return to your duties.”

The assembled League members all dropped to one knee, Nyssa and Sara being no exception. Nyssa found things like this admirable in Oliver. Her father as Ra’s had always acted as if members should be loyal simply because he was Ra’s. Yes, he was strong, skilled and wise and he had had the ability to read people, but once someone joined the League, they did what they were told. No praise, no appreciation, nothing but a set of expectations set. Oliver, on the other hand, was strong, skilled and growing wiser every day. But, whereas her father felt members should be loyal because he was Ra’s, Oliver felt a need to earn that loyalty every day. He did this by showing devotion to his own duties, so that he could expect it from others, and by actually talking to the members, letting them know when he felt they had done well.

Oliver was beyond exhausted, not just from the long night, but also the emotional toll of what he had just done. He knew he could have just put an arrow in her heart back at Verdant and been done with it. Or if he’d wanted to drag it out a little, there were places he could have stabbed her where it would have taken time for her to bleed out. But this, this was different. Nyssa and Sara had both seen it immediately when he’d dragged an unconscious Waller out of Verdant, the raging hatred in his eyes. He wanted it to be slow, he wanted it to be painful, not to teach a lesson or at least not one to his chosen victim. No, this was a message to ARGUS, one that he hoped would be understood after someone checked the thumb drive An-Nur left in Waller’s office. On it was every shady deal, every excessive operation, every bit of dirt that the League knew about Amanda Waller. Oliver knew there was one last thing that he needed to do before he could finally rest however. So, he, Nyssa and Sara left the League base and were driven into Starling City.


	11. Reunited

Starling City

November 23, 2015

The sky was just beginning to lighten as the SUV they were in arrived back at the Starling Grand Hotel. Going up to their floor, they could easily see Nadeem and An-Nur waiting for them. The pair knelt as soon as they saw Oliver exit the elevator.

“Give me ten minutes to clean up a little,” Oliver told them as he went over to the suite. Going inside, he quickly disrobed and got in the shower. Looking at his hands, he could see a little blood on them, likely from when he’d bashed Waller’s brains in. Taking care, he scrubbed it all off before soaping up entirely, then rinsing off. A brisk toweling dry and he was back in his bedroom. He chose something slightly casual, a blue long-sleeved shirt and black slacks. Going into the sitting area of the suite, he found Nyssa and Sara on one couch. On the other was a thin man with graying hair and a pair of glasses. Looking at him, Oliver decided that most of Felicity’s features came from her mother, while she got her brains from her father.

“My lord, may I introduce Noah Kuttler,” Nadeem said from where he was standing behind Mister Kuttler.

“Thank you,” Noah said as he stood and extended his hand. “I am told I have you to thank for my freedom, Mister Queen.”

“Do not say that name,” Oliver said somewhat harshly. “If you are ever asked, by anyone, you have never met me, only seen me in pictures with your daughter. And you should thank your daughter for your freedom, not me. If Nadeem had not seen that picture, at this time you would be dead.”

“Why? What is so special about me that you would want me dead?”

“Rubicon.”

“That abomination? Waller had no idea the Pandora’s box she was potentially opening with that. I tried to warn her, tried to show her the catastrophic dangers in what she was asking. She ignored me, saying that it would be safe because she would be the only one able to access the program. I didn’t believe her, I still don’t. Then, she promised to let me actually see my daughter and I caved, because I knew that if I refused, I’d still see her, just in another cell like mine,” Kuttler told them.

“I still do not fully grasp what makes this program so dangerous,” Nyssa said.

“Let me put it in simple terms. Think of Rubicon as a kind of key, designed to lock down an enemy’s nuclear missiles in case of a rogue General getting control of them or a country like North Korea threatening to launch them. With Rubicon, they can enter their codes, turn their keys, whatever and it doesn’t matter because Rubicon doesn’t let their commands go anywhere. The missiles stay on the ground. As I wrote it, Rubicon is a key designed to turn only one way, to lock. However, it would be a matter of minutes for any competent coder or hacker to take what I have written, make three or four changes and now, the key turns in both directions. Someone can now use that to actually launch another country’s nuclear missiles and there would be almost no way to stop it.”

“And you knew this and still created this Rubicon?”

“Are you a parent?” Kuttler asked. “I wasn’t the best father. I did things that broke the law, things that I knew I shouldn’t do and I have lived with the regrets of doing them for many years now. But as a father, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect my daughter, especially from a monster like Amanda Waller. So, yes, I wrote Rubicon. Because the alternative was watching the only good thing I ever did with my life be brought before me in an orange jumpsuit on her way to Waller’s Task Force X.”

Nyssa was stunned by the shortsightedness of the man. Yes, she understood about wanting to protect someone you loved. But this, it was insanity. He was gambling the fate of billions to protect a single person. And while she liked Felicity, no one person was worth doing what he did. It revealed a weakness that she found somewhat disgusting. Thankfully, his daughter did not seem to suffer from that as well.

“So, what happens now?”

“Now, Mister Kuttler, you learn the conditions of your freedom. First, as I said earlier, you never met me. You never met anyone in this room except for Nadeem. If you should see one of us in the future, you will act like it is the very first time. Second, you will stay out of trouble. That means you will find honest work. If I hear of you going back to crime, and especially if I hear of you working on something like Rubicon again, I will return and you will meet the same fate that would have befallen you tonight if your daughter wasn’t who she is,” Oliver told him.

“And when someone asks where I was, what am I supposed to tell them?” Kuttler asked.

“You tell them the truth, just omitting certain details. You were taken by ARGUS and have been their prisoner for the past eighteen, nineteen years. Two people in black helped you escape tonight. They dropped you off near Palmer Technologies, telling you that your daughter worked there. When you asked why they’d helped you, one of them said ‘A life for a life’. Keep your descriptions of your helpers vague. And remember, we will be watching you.”

With that, Oliver nodded his head at Nadeem, then towards the door. Noah Kuttler stood from the couch and allowed himself to be escorted out of the suite. Nadeem took him to a room down the hall, where a change of clothes was waiting for him. Letting him out on the busy sidewalk in front of Palmer Technologies in what was all to clearly a prison jumpsuit would have defeated the purpose of this. Besides, as long as he was held by ARGUS should count against any crimes they might be looking for him in regards to. And Oliver was sure that Laurel would take the case as a favor to Felicity if Kuttler was charged with anything.

When the door closed, Oliver sank down on the couch Kuttler had just vacated, leaned back and closed his eyes. He just needed a moment to let it all sink in, to come to terms once again with the darkness that was inside himself. Nyssa and Sara watched him before getting up and going to the other couch to sit, one on either side of him.

“Let it go, Husband,” Nyssa said. “Neither of us will think the lesser of you if you do.”

“You did what you felt you had to do, Ollie,” Sara told him. “No matter what, we support you.”

“Thanks. I just feel like doing that, I was no better than she was. Like no matter how hard I’ve tried and how far I’ve come, the right push and I’m back to that person again,” Oliver replied. “What I did tonight was something that...I don’t know.”

“The fact that you feel like this now means that good man is still inside of you. Give it some time and let Nyssa help you. She’s had experience with it, dealing with me.”

“That’s true, Beloved. Though I think Oliver might be easier than you ever were.”

“Watch out, Ollie, she’s calling you easy now,” Sara said with a laugh.

“I know she didn’t mean it like that, Sara. If she did, she’d have clearly directed that at you.”

“He’s not wrong, Beloved,” Nyssa said with a wicked grin that evident in her tone of voice, enough so that Oliver opened his eyes for a moment to see Sara try to hit Nyssa with a little pillow. He then closed his eyes again and tried to let himself relax so that he could fall asleep. It was not to be, however, as there came a knock at the door. Oliver grumbled at that. Between the long flight to get here and the long day yesterday, he was bone tired and just wanted to get a little sleep. Now, it would have to be deferred, as this would certainly be a member of the League needing Ra’s to address something. He opened his eyes as Sara got up and walked over to the door. She knew that the floor was secure, so she didn’t even think about it before she opened the door, expecting that same thing as Oliver. The first thought that crossed her mind when she saw who was there was, ‘Crap.’

“Look who I found. She showed up at my place this morning, looking for you. And Felicity said you guys were staying here,” Thea said as she made to walk into the suite, Sin already in the process of hugging the life out of Sara. There was nothing she could do but brace herself for the inevitable and pray. “Hi, Nyssa, Ollie.”

“Good morning, sister-in-law,” Nyssa said with a grin, just biting back an outright laugh as she caught the deer-in-the-headlights look on her husband’s face which matched perfectly against the stunned shock on Thea’s as she realized what she was seeing and what she had said.

“What the fuck?!? Ollie, you’re here? This isn’t some hallucination or dream, right?”

“No, you’re not dreaming, Speedy,” Oliver told her as he got up and went to his sister, wincing as she punched him hard in the arm.

“Start explaining, Ollie,” Thea demanded.

“I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. You remember the night I left, right?” Oliver asked, looking at her. Getting a nod, he continued. “So, you remember me telling you that there are only two ways to leave the League, either dead or Ra’s releasing you. Problem was, I had killed Ra’s, which meant that I became Ra’s and I couldn’t release myself. Nyssa stopped me as I was leaving Starling and explained it to me. So, I went to Nanda Parbat and went through the ceremonies to become Ra’s.”

“Then you knew, before we called you and told you. You knew about Sara?”

“Yes, Nyssa and I made that decision together.”

“I’m sorry, what decision?” Sin asked as she finally let loose of Sara long enough to be seated.

“I was killed last year, but Oliver and Nyssa were able to resurrect me about two weeks ago,” Sara told her.

“I knew something had happened to you when I saw someone else going around dressed like you. But dead, like the Grim Reaper, the white light and all of that?”

“Well, I didn’t see a white light. Just felt the arrows strike me and then I was falling.”

“I’m just glad you’re back.”

“We all are,” Nyssa said, smiling at the young girl.

“And you’re the one who sent Sara home?” Thea asked.

“No, I made her an offer. If she wanted, I would release her from the League. Or she could stay in the League, but I would send her to Starling City for an extended period of time. Eventually, she will have to return to Nanda Parbat,” Oliver said. “Though, even then I would allow her to visit her family here.”

“And what about you? Did you ever intend to visit your family here?”

“Not right away. I needed to show the League that I was fit to be Ra’s and to me, that meant showing that I would respect all of the rules and customs that come with being a member of the League. The biggest of those is that we leave our past lives behind. We take a new name because that old name represents our former life.”

“So that night at the loft, that was going to be the last time I saw you?” Thea asked, tears forming in her eyes.

“No, Speedy. I would have been back, I promise you. And like I told you when I returned from those five years away, you were with me the entire time,” Oliver told her

“Laurel, Felicity and Dig are going to be happy that you’re here.”

“You can’t tell them, Speedy. I need you to promise me, you won’t tell them.”

“Why not, Ollie?”

“A lot of reasons. Do you really think Dig would be happy to see me, after everything that happened before I left? Felicity might be, but then she’d hound me about why I can’t stay. As soon as I drop the Ra’s bomb, that’s it. Dig would automatically think the worst of me, perhaps even saw that it was my goal the entire time if he’s angry enough. Felicity would try to convince me to leave the League, that the killing is wrong and it would be the same old argument all over again. And I have no desire to deal with that again,” Oliver said.

Thea couldn’t think of an argument against that. She could still see the looks on their faces when Oliver and Nyssa had shown up to stop Nyssa’s father. The anger on Dig’s that had led to him hitting Oliver in the face, the look of betrayal on Felicity’s at seeing the pair of them together and her snide comment about them being on their honeymoon. Worse had been when Malcolm’s body had been found and she had made the mistake of telling them that Oliver had been the one to kill him. Even when they’d gotten the whole story, their looks of disappointment in her brother hadn’t changed.

“And Laurel?” Thea asked quietly.

“Someday I’ll see her again, just not right now. I did some things last night that they will all learn about in the next day or two, things that are going to make things worse between all of us for the time being. And before you ask, no, I’m not going to tell you what I’ve done. I just hope, when they put all of the pieces together, they’ll at least understand why I’ve done what I’ve done. Not that they’ll support it, or be happy about it, just that they’ll understand it. I hope that you will understand.”

“You’re my brother, Ollie, and I love you, no matter what. I just really miss you.”

“I miss you too, Speedy. And I promise, next time I’m in town, we’ll spend plenty of time together.”

“That sounds like you’re leaving,” Thea replied.

“This afternoon. I need to get back to Nanda Parbat and Nyssa probably should too. We have duties to perform and I don’t think it wise that we are both away too long. I’m sorry, Sara,” Oliver said.

“Don’t be. We’ve had a week, which is more than I could have hoped for,” Sara said. “Besides, you have things you both need to do and I do as well. Can’t have either of us failing Ra’s, now can we Nyssa?”

“No, we certainly can not. He can be a bit of a grouch when that happens,” Nyssa said, smiling at Thea. “I’m sure you know that, sister-in-law.”

“That is going to take some getting used to, Ollie being married and to you. Besides, aren’t you and Sara together, or does it just seem like you are?”

“OK, Thea. Here it is in a nutshell. Nyssa and I are married, because her father forced us to be. Under League law, that marriage only ends on one of our deaths. Nyssa is a lesbian who was with Sara, who is her Beloved. And, just to make the triangle complete, you are smart enough to figure out why Sara and I were together on the Gambit.”

“Yeah, I’d say that sums things up nicely,” Sara said. “My ex-friend-with-benefits got married to my girlfriend while I was dead. Not quite on the level of sleeping with your sister’s boyfriend, but still kinda up there on the freaky scale.”

Thea laughed as Sin just gaped at Sara after that revelation. For Sin, this whole morning had been something of a revelation. She’d approached Thea, because she knew Thea was connected to Roy and Roy was definitely connected with Sara. And regardless of the news reports, she knew Roy wasn’t the Green Arrow, but rather was the other guy, the one in Red. When Thea had offered to help, she figured she’d get an address from the woman, not be taken to the nicest hotel in the city. Now, here she was with Sara, listening to them talk about some League and a whole host of people she didn’t know. Only to top it all off by finding out that Sara had died, somehow been brought back to life only to find her girlfriend married to a man, who she used to have sex with.

“I can see you have questions, Sin,” Nyssa said gently. “You can ask them.”

“Only a bunch,” Sin said. “What’s this League you’re talking about?”

“It is the League of Assassins. The League is headed by Ra’s al Ghul, the title meaning Head of the Demon. The League is centuries old and there have been many Ra’s al Ghul’s. The latest is my husband, before him was my father. The League exists to fight evil, replacing it with death. There are many thousands of members of the League, all sworn to obey the will of Ra’s al Ghul, loyal onto death. The members of the League are the finest warriors in the world, a force that has destroyed cities and conquered countries in the past.”

“And how did Sara join this League?”

“Ollie and I got separated at one point, the second year after the Gambit went down. He got picked up by ARGUS, while I was rescued by Nyssa. I was alone, starving, waiting to die when she found me. She took me in, nursed me back to health. She explained to me about the League and told me that by her bringing me to Nanda Parbat, I would either be accepted into the League or I would die. Her father had this show he would put on for new recruits, meant to terrify them. When it was my turn, I just laughed. I couldn’t help it, after everything I’d been through already, all the times I’d already looked death in the eye. The League trained me, made me into what I am.”

“When did you know ARGUS rescued me, Sara?” Oliver asked, his voice almost a growl.

“I watched them take you, Ollie. They saw me, I know they did, and they still left me there. Hey, it’s not your fault, Ollie. It’s not your fault. You were unconscious when they found you. I had seen the helicopter that they came in and ran towards where it was landing, waving my arms and yelling, begging to help,” Sara told him.

Nyssa had heard this story before. She had helped Sara deal with the feelings that came with being abandoned, left to die. At first, Sara had blamed Oliver as well as the mysterious men who’d carried him off, but Nyssa had gotten her to understand that there was no way for him to have helped her. Even if he had awoken while they were carrying him away, it wouldn’t have mattered. Nyssa had been able to find out he was taken by ARGUS when Maseo had arrived in Nanda Parbat.

Seeing that the pair needed some time, she led Thea and Sin into the little kitchenette of the suite. She removed a bottle of orange juice and filled three glasses for them. Sin took a drink while looking at Nyssa. She found herself wanting that, the strength and composure that these women had. Yeah, she was tough, in her own way, but not like them.

“How does one join the League?” Sin asked quietly, mindful of Sara and Oliver having their own talk.

“Why do you ask?” Nyssa asked in return, wanting to assess the young woman.

“Because I want to be like her and like you. Sara’s the only real friend I have and I don’t want to lose her again.”

“You need not join the League to be trained. Sara would no doubt be happy to help you in that regard.”

“Until she goes away again,” Sin said. “I know she’s here now, but that won’t be forever, will it?”

“No, it would not. But, I would still ask that you think about your request. The League can be a hard life and it is not meant for everyone. You mean too much to Sara for me to wish to see you hurt or worse,” Nyssa told her.

“And if after I think about it, I decide I still want to do this. How do I left you know?”

“Tell Sara what you have decided and she will make the arrangements.”

Thea’s phone rang then. Pulling it out, she saw that the call was from Felicity. A part of her didn’t want to answer it, certain that it was Team Arrow business. She was also enjoying spending time with her brother. She knew if she answered it, she would have to go and by the time she would likely be able to return, Ollie would have gone. But, she also knew that the team might need her and she couldn’t let them down.

“Hi, Felicity,” Thea said as she answered.

“Where are you, Thea?” Felicity asked.

“Sin and I are visiting Sara and Nyssa right now. Why?”

“How quickly can you guys get to my office at Palmer Technologies?”

“Five to ten minutes at most,” Thea said.

“The guard will have visitors passes waiting for you,” Felicity told her before hanging up the phone.

Thea found the others staring at her, as they had only been able to hear her part of the short conversation. She filled them in and the ladies left, but only after a long hug between brother and sister and a moment spent with Thea composing herself afterwards. The drive over to the Palmer Technologies building was short, as it was near the hotel. Parking the car, the four of them got out and took the elevator up to the lobby. A security guard was waiting for them, along with the promised visitors badges. Once they were all signed in, he give them directions and pointed to the elevator they would need to take.

Starling City

November 23, 2015

Felicity had arrived to work early that morning. She had a meeting to prep with Ray, regarding an offer that they had received from Wayne Enterprises. There was a project that they had and they believed that Curtis’ power cell could be an ideal power source. With that in mind, they wanted to have a meeting with both companies senior directors to discuss the Wayne Enterprises project and how the power cell would be used in more details. She knew that Ray held Lucius Fox in high regard, as did she, but she was worried that such a commitment would be moving too fast on this. On the other hand, having a deal with Wayne Enterprises would help calm some of the more nervous investors, as well as possibly get them other contracts as well.

“Ms. Smoak,” came a knock on her door, getting her to look up at her EA. “There’s a gentleman here to see you.”

Felicity looked past him, out into the open space where her EA’s desk sat. There was a man standing there, thin with gray hair, wearing slacks and a shirt. He was looking out the windows, so she couldn’t see his face, but the way he stood seemed familiar. She got up from her desk and headed out of her office, going towards him. He heard the sound of her heels on the floor and turned to face her, stopping Felicity dead.

“Dad?” Felicity asked, her voice trembling.

“Finally,” came a breathless, barely audible sigh from the man. “It’s been so long, baby.”

Felicity was in shock, as her emotions waged battle inside of her. Anger, hurt, joy, sorrow and a whole host of others fought for dominance. One second she wanted to slap him, then next she just wanted to fall into his arms and never let go. In the end, her happiness won out, though she was sure that the hurt and anger would reappear after they had had a chance to talk. So, she stepped into arms that had opened instantly for her and just sobbed on his chest, not caring what it did for her mascara or if she’d end up with raccoon eyes.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I am so sorry.”

“Why did you leave me, daddy?”

Noah knew that this was going to be a long talk, so he steered them into Felicity’s office and closed the door. Looking, he saw a couch over by the windows. Moving them there, he helped her sit down, then took the seat next to her.

“What did your mother tell you? About what I did?” Noah asked.

“Nothing, really. I would ask, but all she said is that you did techie things and she didn’t understand. Then one morning, you just left,” Felicity told him.

“I was a computer hacker, Felicity. That’s how I made my money, by hacking into companies. The morning I left, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere. I was just going to run a few errands and be back for lunch. I never did learn how they found me, just one minute I was at the drug store and the next I was in a van. At first, I thought I had been arrested. Then, I came to realize this was something else. There was no trial, no lawyer, no nothing but a cell. Finally, I was offered a choice. I could either work for them, hacking what they told me to, or I could go to prison for a good part of my life. The way they made it sound, I would work for them a few years and then be let go. It sounds better than the alternative.”

“Before I knew it, five years had passed. I kept asking how long they were going to keep me, but they never answered. Then, what they were asking me to do became more complex, more dangerous than simply hacking. I tried to refuse, only for the person in charge to come to my cell. She gave me this,” Noah told her, as he took something from his pocket and handed it to Felicity.

Felicity looked at the picture and gasped. It was of her, from her high school science fair. She remembered that day, how proud her mother had been of the program she’d written. The poor woman hadn’t understood the coding needed, but she’d liked the line art characters that it could draw. It had been good enough to win her first place and had been part of her submission to MIT for one of her scholarships.

“Over time, she gave me other photographs, to taunt me or simply remind me that they could easily get you too. After that first one, I rarely gave her any trouble. I’d resigned myself to the fact that she was never going to let me go. I just hoped that if I did what she wanted well enough, one day I would get to see you.”

“Then how are you here, now?”

“Last night, someone came to where I was held and freed me. I don’t know who they were, but they brought me here and said that this is where you work. I asked why they were helping me and all I was told was ‘A life for a life’,” Noah told her.

“And this group that held you, do you know who they were?” Felicity asked.

“They were called ARGUS.”

Felicity bolted upright at that, jumping off the couch and stalking to her desk. She picked up her phone and started calling. First were Dig and Lyla, followed by Laurel and finally Thea. All were basically the same conversations, “Get to my office ASAP”. She then sat down behind her desk and opened up her personal laptop, fingers itching to begin. First off was the FBI, as she looked for any outstanding warrants for her father. Finding nothing, she then looked for any federal cases that might be linked to him. Finding two, she saved the information so that she could discuss them with Laurel later. She then searched federal and state court records for anything in her father’s name. Nothing there.

By this time, Thea, Sara, Nyssa and Sin were walking into her outer office. Felicity vaguely recognized the girl that was with them, having seen her around Verdant once or twice. She watched her take a seat, while the other three came through Felicity’s office door.

“What’s going on, Felicity?” Sara asked before catching sight of the man sitting in her office.

“Can we wait until the others get here? That way I only have to say it once,” Felicity requested.

With that, Thea took the seat in front of Felicity’s desk, while Sara and Nyssa leaned against the wall near the doorway. Laurel was the next to arrive, along with Captain Lance. Last were Dig, Lyla and baby Sara. Once the door was shut, everyone looked at Felicity, then the unknown man in the room with them. They all got the feeling that he was the reason that they were being asked here on a Monday morning.

“So, I’m sure you’ve all noticed that I talk, like a lot. About almost anything, except one thing. I don’t talk about my family, like ever, because its never been a topic I’ve been especially comfortable with telling others about,” Felicity said. “But today, I kinda have to tell you about it. My mom is, well, my mom. She’s almost my polar opposite. She’s completely tech illiterate, to the point she can’t even send a text. She’s more about what’s popular, dating and people. I’m most comfortable around my machines and less so with people.”

“I get the technology gene from my dad, or at least I think I do. I don’t know for sure because one day when I was seven, I came home from school and he was gone. For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me that made him leave, that I wasn’t good enough in some way. I didn’t see him again until this morning when he walked into my office. I found out that it wasn’t me that the was reason he left and didn’t come back. He had been taken by ARGUS while he was out that day and had been their prisoner until last night, when someone freed him.”

“Did you say last night, Felicity?” Lyla asked, looking at her strangely.

“Yeah, why?”

“I got a call during the night from the Director of Homeland Security. There was an issue at ARGUS headquarters and I was being recalled as part of the investigation. I went in and found the night shift supervisor in a frenzy. Director Waller disappeared last night while she was working with a strike team to capture a high value target. He only found this out because, during a brief power outage at ARGUS, a prisoner escaped. They tried to call Waller and didn’t get an answer. When he escalated to the Director of Homeland Security, the facility was placed on lock down. At least I can report that the prisoner is recaptured.”

“No, you can’t. I looked while I was waiting for everyone to show up. ARGUS has been holding him for 19 years, but never once has he been charged with a crime, appeared in court on any charges or sentenced to a term in prison. So, you can try, but you should understand my next phone call will be to the news media,” Felicity said as she got up. “After that, I’d be hiring a couple of attorneys. One to work on get my dad released, the other for the wrongful imprisonment lawsuit we’d be filing on his behalf.”

“Don’t look at me,” Dig told his wife. “This is one of those times when there isn’t any argument to be made. Not because she’s our friend or that she’s baby Sara’s godmother, but because she’s right. If what she told you is true, then ARGUS basically kidnapped her father. And while I know and Felicity knows that you aren’t responsible for what happened, if you take him back, knowing what you now know, that’s all on you.”

Lyla looked at the others in the room and knew with certainty that there would be no help from any of them. Not for the first time, she found herself cursing the day she’d ever joined ARGUS and met Amanda Waller. Because, sure as the sun rising in the morning, there was going to be a shit show when this got out, one that Amanda Waller would make sure didn’t splatter on her. And the same people who had looked the other way regarding Task Force X would most definitely not on this. If what Felicity was telling them was true, ARGUS had not just broken the law, but violated someone’s fundamental human rights.

“How was ARGUS able to do that?” Thea asked. “Just take someone off the street like that?”

“The same way any police officer can. They pull up with lights, sirens, guns and a badge. People on the street see what their mind tells them they should see, a cop. They cuff someone, they must have a reason. Unless something goes way wrong, nobody is going to interfere,” Captain Lance told them.

“So, the question is, what do we do now?” Dig asked.

“Get him somewhere out of sight. Don’t tell me where, so there’s no chance I can tell ARGUS when I go back this afternoon. Give me some time to work on this, convince those normally above Waller that this is one fight we shouldn’t start. It might take me a few days, but I’ll take care of it,” Lyla told them. “I’ll see you at home, Johnny.”

“I would suggest not having him stay with you, Felicity,” Laurel said. “I know you want to make up for lost time, but it would just be too easy for ARGUS to connect the dots from him to you.”

“He can stay with me, if he’d like,” Thea said. “I’ve got plenty of room in the loft and it shouldn’t be easy for anyone to connect us.”

“Then, I should probably introduce you. Thea, this is my father, Noah Kuttler. Dad, these are my friends. Thea Queen, John Diggle, Quentin Lance, Laurel Lance, Sara Lance and Nyssa al Ghul,” Felicity said, as the group came over to meet her father.

Felicity couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. This was a day that she used to wish for as a child and as she’d grown older, it had seemed like those wishes would never come true. Yet, here he was now. He was back and she couldn’t believe how happy she felt. But the look on her father’s face and the tears in his eyes shook some of that happiness from her. Because he looked so lost and so afraid, it tore at her heart.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?”

“I’m afraid. Afraid that I’m going to wake up and this will have all been a dream. Afraid I’ll be back in that cell again and find Waller standing there laughing as she hands me another picture of you. And after this, I know there is no way that I could take that,” Noah told her.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m here now,” Felicity stated, holding him to her.

Dig and Sara got the others out of the office. They didn’t know exactly what was happening, but they could make a reasonable guess. Regardless, they were sure that Mister Kuttler didn’t want or need a group of strangers watching as he fell apart. A few moments later, Felicity popped her head out to thank them for being there for her. At that point, they decided that they would leave for now. This was a time for father and daughter to reconnect. Thea stayed in the outer office, so that when they were done, she could take Felicity’s father back to the loft. Quentin and Laurel headed off to work, while Dig would drop Sara, Nyssa and Sin back at their hotel before he went home.


	12. Occupational Necessities

Starling City

November 23, 2015

Nyssa, Sara and Sin walked into the suite to find Oliver asleep on the couch, his packed bags near the door. Seeing this, they decided to be as quiet as they could and let him rest. Sin didn’t know what had happened last night. She could, however, see that while Nyssa and Sara looked tired, Oliver seemed exhausted. When Nyssa went into the kitchenette and started the coffee maker, he barely even twitched. As it brewed, the three women went and sat at the table.

“I know we talked about me earlier. How have you been doing, Sin?” Sara asked her friend.

“Not great. The Glades is even worse than you remember and it’s getting harder to dodge all the stuff going on in there,” Sin told her. “Especially with no Arrow any more.”

“What about the others? Aren’t they helping?”

“Not really. They go after the guys at the top, the big fish. All that does is cause the ones below to start fighting over who gets to be the new top guy. Lot of innocents getting hurt while they sort that out, but they’re like me, got nowhere else to go.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, Sin,” Sara told her.

“Hey, not your fault. Though it would have been nice to have gotten some lessons before you left. Maybe it would have made a difference, like I could have helped,” Sin replied.

“Is that what you and Nyssa were talking about earlier?”

“I asked her how to join the League of Assassins. She told me more about the League, including how hard it is. Then she told me to think about that and if I still wanted to join, to talk to you.”

“Do not look at me like that, Beloved,” Nyssa told Sara. “I know what she means to you and I would not do anything that might hurt her. That is why I cautioned her about what joining the League would be like and that she need not join the League for you or us to train her.”

“I know that, Nyssa. It’s just that the League is a lifetime commitment. I don’t want her to get drawn in because of me and then, a couple of years later, have a crisis of conscience and try to flee like I did,” Sara said.

“Crisis of conscience?” Sin asked.

“Nyssa told you earlier that the League exist to replace evil with death. We assassinate people. Drug kingpins, human traffickers, corrupt businessmen and government officials to name a few. All prosper on the suffering of others. If a city grows too rife with crime and corruption, the League will cleanse that city. The problem is, that sometimes innocents suffer from our actions. Not that we hurt them, but that our actions cause them hurt. Before I tried to leave the League, I was sent to Guyana for a local diplomat named Suarez. I slit his throat in his bed and his kids found him the next morning. They had to see that, because of what I had done. After that, I started questioning what I was doing, trying to reconcile it with the person my parents had raised me to be and when I couldn’t, I ran.”

“I wish you had talked about it with me, Beloved. I could see you starting to struggle, but before I could talk to you, you were gone. I was hurt that you left without saying goodbye, because I believed that you loved me as much as I love you. Then, when I found you, I was conflicted between fulfilling my duty and my love for you. I have learned from that mistake and the League is no longer lead by someone as narrow minded as my father. If Sin were to have troubles, do you doubt that my husband would release her?”

“No,” Sara said with a smile, looking over at Oliver.

“Now, why don’t you order us all something to eat while I pack. I know that Oliver wants to return home and refocus his attentions onto the League as a whole,” Nyssa told them before getting up and going into her bedroom.

Sin slid the room service menu over to Sara with a smile. Sara called down and placed orders for eggs, bacon and home fries for the four of them, along with some fresh fruit as well. As she was doing that, Sin went and got them some coffee. It felt good just being here with Sara, kinda like those mornings in the clock tower when she’d bring by takeout and just sit, enjoying feeling cared about. She had missed this.

“Will you train me?” Sin asked. “Train me to be like you.”

“Do you even have to ask?” Sara said, giving the girl a little smile. “But not to be like me. I’ll train you to be stronger, teach you to fight, give you the tools to be a better you, not another me.”

“Besides, one Sara is more than enough,” said Oliver from his place on the couch.

“Jerk!”

Oliver just laughed as he got up off the couch and went for a cup of coffee. He had gotten a little sleep and figured that he could sleep some more on the flight home. Right now, he wanted to spend some time with his friends before it was time to go. He smiled when Nyssa came out of the bedroom, dressed in a fashionable pant suit and hat, her coat over her arm and the suitcase trailing her. Oliver’s own outfit was a pair of black dress slacks and a blue dress shirt. A black suit coat and tie were draped over the back of the couch. His clothes were a little rumpled from his nap, but no more than if he had been in the car.

When room service arrived, the plates were put on the table and everyone sat down. The closer it came to them leaving, the more somber the mood became. None of them really wanted to leave the other, even though they knew that it had to be. The good thing was, Nyssa and Oliver were flying back on a private jet, so they had a little more flexibility as to when they left. Still, it could only be delayed so long. Oliver was the first to get up from the table, going over to collect his coat and tie, then putting them on.

Nyssa was next, with Sara and Sin standing as she did. Sara and Nyssa shared an embrace and a kiss goodbye. When Nyssa turned to Sin, the young woman was slightly surprised to be hugged as well.

“Take care of her for us, Ta-er Aswad,” Nyssa told her.

“What does that mean? Ta-er Aswad?” Sin asked.

“It means Black Bird, Sin,” Sara replied with a smile, recognizing that Nyssa had just given Sin a League name. Even better, it was one that clearly was a play on Sara’s own name of Ta-er Al-Sahfer or Yellow Bird, The Canary. Sin’s would likely be The Raven, as The Crow would sound too much like the title of a bad 90s movie. “Think of it as Nyssa’s way of saying you’re family now.”

“Sara is quite correct. I know you are like a sister to her and she is family to both of us, which makes you family as well. That will always be there for you, no matter what.”

“And, remember, this family takes care of one another, always,” Oliver told her. “Sara will make sure you have a number to reach us. If you need us, call and we’ll come running.”

“Thank you both.” Sin could feel a few tears tracing down her cheeks, even as a smile crossed her face. It had been a long time since she’d had a family, since that day her father went missing. She’d often wondered what had happened to him, suspecting that his plane had crashed somewhere. If that was true, then she would take this as a sign that he was watching over her and trying to give her what he had been unable to.

Oliver gave both the women hugs, then he and Nyssa left. Sara decided that she didn’t want to spend the rest of the morning in the suite missing them. No, she and Sin would spend their day going and picking up listings for places to rent in the city. That way, they could get out of there and the League could stop paying the high price for the suite. Not to mention, if she was going to be here long-term, it would be nice to have a place of her own.

So, Sara and Sin went out to a convenience store near the hotel. Sara bought a newspaper and took the free magazines that came with rental listings. Then the pair walked down to a cafe and settled into a pair of chairs, mugs of hot coffee in front of themselves. Sara gave Sin a list of minimum requirements for what she was looking for: at least two bedrooms, near the Glades but not in them, a gym or near one. She didn’t plan to train there, that would be done at the safe house. The gym was so that they could get Sin into the kind of shape she would need to be in to survive her training. Because, while she wouldn’t go as hard as a League trainer would, she would still push the young woman to learn and learn quickly.

By the time that they were done, Sara had found six that she thought were good. Two were houses, three condos and one apartment. She called and set up appointments to see them over the next couple of days. For now, it was time to take Sin shopping. If they were going to start her training, she was going to need some clothes to exercise in.

Nanda Parbat

November 25, 2015

Oliver and Nyssa were both glad to be home after the long flight. They had spent last night sleeping until late this morning, giving their bodies a chance to overcome the jet lag they were suffering. Now, however, it was time to get back to work. Oliver made his way to his office, so that he could go over all the reports that had come in since he left. He would also have his Horsemen brief him about what they had observed while he was gone. He was coming to trust these advisors almost as much as he trusted Nyssa.

As for Nyssa, she went towards the League’s training rooms. She wanted to see what areas needed improvement, what students were either falling behind or outright failing as well as make sure that the teachers were doing their jobs. She also would watch the more experienced assassins, looking for anything useful. She would file that away and ask them if they could teach her it when they had a chance. As Bride to the Demon, she could simply demand their time, but she was learning it was better to ask.

Nyssa walked into one of the bigger rooms, set up for archery training. The only one currently in the room was a young woman. She was standing near the middle of the room, a semi-circle of quivers positioned in front of her. Nyssa watched as the woman knocked and fired, moving rapidly through the targets and quivers. She smiled as she wondered who would win a competition between her husband and the woman. Not only was she fast, she was accurate as well.

When the quivers were empty, the woman walked to the targets and removed them. It was as she turned from the targets that she saw Nyssa standing there. Nyssa smiled when she realized that the woman was not startled to see her and wondered how long she had known she was being watched.

“You’re very talented,” Nyssa told her.

“Which is why I practice as much as I do,” the woman said. “Hard work will take you places that talent along can’t reach.”

“Are you passing along your skills to others?”

“Yes, Ra’s al Ghul has commanded that I train the newest recruits. He was, uh, disappointed in the lack of progress that they had been making.”

Nyssa laughed at that. She wondered what had happened and wished that she could have seen how her husband had chosen to punish the offenders. She was certain he had been creative, unlike her father who would have most likely killed the former teachers later in a training session.

“And have they improved with you as their teacher?” Nyssa asked.

“They have. All are now able to consistently hit near the bullseye. Today, they move on to moving targets,” the woman told her, pointing toward an object, towards the side of the room. Nyssa looked and spotted a moderately sized target. Looking closer, she saw it was connected to a post and that post was connected to a rafter near the ceiling of the room. It took her a second to work out what it was for, before realizing that this would be the moving target.

“When I tested it, the target would continue swinging for almost thirty minutes before it has to be reset. To do that, you reconnect the pull rope and drag it off to the side, building the momentum back up.”

“And how well do you expect most of your students to do against this?” Nyssa asked.

“I expect them to fail spectacularly the first time. It takes some getting used to, judging a target’s speed and then adjusting your aim to correct for it. But, they will learn,” the woman told her.

“They will indeed. What is your name?”

“I am Artemis, Nyssa.”

“It is indeed a pleasure to meet you, Artemis,” Nyssa told her. “I hope that at some point, you can spare a little time and train with myself and Ra’s. I think we could learn much from you.”

“I would be happy to, as I believe I could learn from you as well,” Artemis replied, as her students came into the room.

“I will not keep you from your lessons, but I will find you later and we can arrange a time for us to practice.”

“Yes, Nyssa.”

With that Nyssa stepped to the back of the room and watched. The young woman had certainly not been exaggerating the difficulties that her students would have. Only one of them managed to hit the target at any point during their first attempts. As they gathered their arrows, she watched Artemis going from student to student. From the hand gestures and how she was moving, she was clearly giving them instructions. Nyssa smiled as she watched the second round of attempts, because whatever Artemis had told them was working. This time, all but one was consistently hitting the target. Not near the bullseye, true, but they were hitting the target. The one student who was still having troubles got more extensive instruction from his teacher this time around.

By the time Nyssa left the room, all were now hitting the target. She would have to talk to her husband about the young woman. While she might be an assassin, it was clear that her talents would be more useful here in Nanda Parbat as an instructor. Even if she was named for the Greek goddess of hunting. Nyssa moved on to Oliver’s office, hoping that see if he would be free at some point so that they could train together. When she went inside, she found him reading over one of the reports that had come in. So, she took her place behind him, reading over his shoulder.

“What do you think, Nyssa?” Oliver asked when he was sure she was finished reading.

“Wait until we have more information. I do not believe that those behind this have been fully revealed. I know the dangers that poses, but if we don’t fully destroy this organization, they will only emerge somewhere else. More cautious and harder to defeat,” Nyssa told him.

Oliver sighed, not because he disagreed with her. No, this was the product of knowing what their delay could lead to. Human trafficking rings were something that attracted a special form of attention from the pair. When it was girls as young as ten that were being taken, Oliver had to fight down his impulse to unleash the full force of the League immediately. As he read the reports coming in, in his mind he kept picturing Thea at that age.

“Come, husband. You need to focus on something other than this and I have the perfect idea.”

If it had been anyone other than Nyssa, he would have thought that was code of sex. But it was Nyssa and that was something that had crossed neither of their minds regarding the other. So, he was left to wonder what she meant as she lead the way through Nanda Parbat. When they finally stopped, he was surprised to find them in a room near the top of the fortress. Nyssa went out to the balcony and sat down, with Oliver joining her as he took in the view.

“Nyssa, this is….”

“No words. Just relax, enjoy the view and breath,” Nyssa said quietly. “Deep breaths.”

For the next hour, the pair focused on nothing else but the view and relaxing. The sun painting the desert in a variety of colors, so vibrant and clear here. As they watched, Oliver could actually feel the tension flow out of him. He needed to do this more often, find time to just be. Appreciate the moment because, unless he resorted to using the Lazarus Pit, there were a finite number of such moments and that number was constantly diminishing.

“Thank you, Nyssa,” Oliver said.

“You’re welcome, Husband. Perhaps now, you will tell me what is bothering you, besides that report.”

“You’re coming to know me too well.”

Nyssa sat and waited, letting Oliver decide when he was ready to tell he what was troubling him. She was fairly certain that whatever it was had to do with their time in Starling City. She felt that Oliver had adjusted well to being Ra’s al Ghul and living here in Nanda Parbat. During those times he was awake on their flight home, she’d put the bleakness she was seeing down to how clearly exhausted he was. Now, however, he was reasonably rested, yet that heaviness was still there.

“Going back to Starling was the wrong decision,” Oliver said quietly.

“In what way?”

“In a lot of ways. And before you say anything, I don’t regret what I do with Waller. I just regret letting the darkness within me have such free reign. I mean I could feel you and Sara watching me, shocked at what I had done. It was just knowing that she was responsible for so much of the hell I went through, that she planned to drag Dig and Lyla through something similar in an attempt to get to me and that she had held Felicity’s father prisoner for almost two decade. I reached my limit.”

“If it wasn’t that, then what was it?” Nyssa asked, although she was getting an idea.

“Seeing my sister like that filled me with such happiness and having to leave her again, it just hurt more than I expected it. And I know you’ll tell me I should go and spend some time with her, but doing that adds the risk of one of the others seeing me. The last thing I want to do is put Thea in the middle of that and then have to leave, while she has to deal with it day in and day out. Because, I’m surprised that Felicity at least hasn’t pieced together that I’m now Ra’s al Ghul,” Oliver said.

“Yes, that does surprise me as well. All the pieces are there, yet they continue to miss what they all mean, what connects them all.”

“Or, it could simply be that they don’t want to believe what they are seeing. That their perception is influenced by their history with me and the League. The me that they want to remember is the one who’d basically renounced killing, while the League seems to be all about killing. Yet, neither of those things are absolutely true. I still killed when necessary, while the League only killed the truly evil.”

“Yet, one would think Miss Smoak or Mister Diggle would look at what has occurred and at least ask why? They know my father was killed, therefore there has to be a new Ra’s al Ghul. You leave the city at the same time. Six months later, I show up with a cure for Thea’s blood lust offered as a gift from Ra’s. Then, Sara is resurrected and allowed to return to Starling City, even though she’s still in the League and then we have the League helping your former team against their enemies. What do those all have in common besides Oliver Queen?” Nyssa asked rhetorically.

“And that’s what worries me. What happens when they put those pieces together and realize that is the only answer? Not to mention they’ll have another piece once they learn Waller is dead and how she died,” Oliver replied. “And we both know their reaction when I joined the League while your father was Ra’s was to try and save me.”

“So, maybe you need to reveal this all to them. Find out, once and for all where they stand, because right now, you’re living in an in-between. Just think about it, Husband.”

Oliver just nodded, understanding what she both was and was not saying. So, for now, he would honor her request and think about all that had been said. He knew that he didn’t need to make a decision now, but knew that the longer he waited, the worse the possible reactions.

Starling City

November 25, 2015

A man dressed in a gray suit walked out of the Starling City library, a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He’d spent the morning going through the back copies of the city’s newspaper, collecting everything about Oliver Queen. He did not know why his employer was interested in the man and he didn’t care. All he cared about was doing his job as thoroughly as possible. That was why when he’d found the article about Oliver being arrested for being the Hood, he’d also started searching for articles about the vigilante as well.

He had noticed things as he was researching. The way that the articles about Oliver Queen had diminished over time, going for a flood around the time of his rescue to a none over the last nine months. Yes, part of the lack of media interest was tied to the fact that he was no longer ‘Oliver Queen, Billionaire’, but rather ‘Oliver Queen, former Billionaire’. It wasn’t just that, though. He’d checked and found that his sister Thea still made the news on occasion. Yet, there was nothing about him in the last nine, almost ten months. Interestingly enough, that was almost the same amount of time since the last sighting of the Arrow.

Now that he had the basic information covered, it was time for the next phase of work that had been requested. Time to dig deeper into Oliver’s friends and relatives. The relatives was easy, as there was only his sister. The friends was what would take some time, as he would have to pour through all of the news articles he had collected and look for names that were repeatedly featured with his target’s. Once he had a list of them, he could look into them as well.

As he walked down the sidewalk towards the Jitters that one of the library staff had directed him to, he passed two women, one a blonde and one with black hair. Both were dressed in a black leather jacket and blue jeans. He smiled at the blonde, but the only reaction he got was an eye roll from the other woman. He wasn’t too surprised, given that he was rather ordinary in appearance and she was attractive, plus he now suspected that the woman with her was her girlfriend or something.

For herself, Sara didn’t even notice the guy. She was more focused on finding their destination. She had an appointment with a Realtor to see a condo. The place had sounded nice in the listing, but then so had the other places that they had already toured. None of those had ended up passing inspection by her and Sin. The one that they would see today looked promising on paper, but would it be similarly appealing in person?

Arriving at the building, they were greeted by the Realtor, a Mrs. Hurst. She lead them inside and got them registered with the building’s security desk. Then she took them up in the elevator. Sara was impressed with the elevator needing a key to access the floor, even if she was certain that any member of the League would be able to get up to the condo if they tried. Stepping off the elevator, they found themselves in a small entryway, facing a solid looking door. Mrs. Hurst unlocked the door and motioned them inside, where they found a large open area. Sara suspected that this was a combination living room/dining room, which was confirmed when they came further into the condo and found the kitchen on their left. The counter top there could serve as a breakfast bar. On the far side of the room was a set of glass doors that led out to a balcony.

Sara walked over to the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. It was good sized, running the length of the condo and had plenty of room for an informal get together, as well as offering an additional private entryway for her fellow League members. After looking around, she went back inside and inspected the four bedrooms. All four were good sized, so that they could have friends stay over with them, something she was hoping Nyssa and Oliver would do the next time they came to Starling. All told, Sara really liked this condo.

“We’ll take it,” Sara told Mrs. Hurst.

“Then, we just need to fill out the paperwork,” Mrs. Hurst told her as she opened her organizer and pulled out everything that they would need.

It took over an hour, but when all was said and done, Sara and Sin were the new occupants of the condo. With keys in their possession, the pair next went out and started looking at furniture, linens and everything else that they would need to make this their home. Their shopping spree ended up taking most of the day, but by the time that they were done they had everything that they believed they would need. All of it would be delivered on Saturday, so Sara made sure to stop back at the building and let security know of the coming invasion.


	13. Training Days

Starling City

November 25, 2015

Thea walked into the lair that night not surprised to see that Laurel and Dig were already there with Felicity. She was curious though when she saw that Lyla and baby Sara were there as well. She walked over to the computer that they were gathered in front of and gave a little gasp when she saw the picture on it, drawing the others attention to her.

“Who is that?” Thea asked, not recognizing the face.

“That is what is left of Amanda Waller. We found her this morning,” Lyla told her. “As I was telling John and the others, an autopsy is pending but I think the cause of death is fairly obvious.”

The others didn’t dispute that. It was clear that the woman had been beaten to death. The only real questions was were what with, by whom and for what reason. It concerned Dig, Felicity and Laurel that there was someone in their city who was capable of such violence. Yes, this time it was directed as someone like Waller, but what if next time it was someone less evil.

“The team that went with her was found yesterday, by the SCPD at another location. They were loaded into the back of two moving trucks and their bodies were moved from where they’d been killed to a warehouse that the Triad operates out of. At this point, every agent that left ARGUS Headquarters with Waller is confirmed dead. Homeland Security is scrambling to figure out how over twenty agents were all killed on a single operation.”

“Have they told you who or what Waller was after?” Dig asked.

“No,” Lyla said. “Either she was playing this close to the vest or there’s a reason that they don’t want me to know. Considering that she was just threatening us about Oliver, it could be that she left something behind that makes them suspicious of me. Or they know she was looking for Oliver and that I have a connection to him.”

“So, they may still be looking for my brother?” Thea asked.

“It’s one possibility, Thea. Whether we like it or not, he would be a viable suspect in their eyes. Not sure how he would have managed to kill all of those agents by himself, though. And there’s the fact that last we knew, he was in Spain.”

“One way to try to confirm that,” Felicity said as she reached for the phone, while she got her tracking program set up. When she was ready, she pressed the speed dial for Oliver and waited.

“Hello, Felicity,” Oliver said when he answered.

“Hi, Oliver. We’re calling about Waller.”

“I haven’t forgotten about her and I’m still working on a plan to deal with her.”

“You can stop your planning. She and a team of agents went out on a mission of some kind and were killed. Lyla just told us,” Dig said.

“I can say I’m not exactly surprised, given the line of work she was in. It would only have been a matter of time before a bigger fish bit back,” Oliver replied.

“Be that as it may, this isn’t exactly all good. If they know that she was looking for you, they could try to pin this on you. Not to mention that whoever did this, man. This wasn’t just killing her, they beat her to death and now I’m worried that this killer is still in the city, man.”

“Dig, what do you want me to say? That she didn’t deserve this? That she should have been exposed for what she was? You know, or at least you should know that wouldn’t have worked. She would have gotten out of it and been back at work in a day or two. Because there are those in positions of power who were willing to look the other way while Amanda Waller did those things she thought necessary. Things like ‘rescue’ me off Lian Yu only to make me her personal killer. Why? Because the rest of the world thought I was dead already, so I was expendable. So, sorry but you won’t get any sympathy for her from me, because I know what an evil bitch she was.”

“No matter how bad you might think she was, nobody deserves to die like that,” Dig told the man.

“Waller would disagree with you, Dig. She once told me that ‘There are people in this world who deal only in extremes. It's naive to think that anything less than extreme measures will stop them.’ Amanda Waller was about as extreme as you’ll find, so maybe someone decided that they needed to do something extreme to stop her. Look, we can argue this all day and I doubt either of us will change our minds. Talk with you another time,” Oliver said before he hung up the phone, leaving his former team in shock.

“Did he just try to justify beating someone to death?” Laurel asked. “Or am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong,” Felicity replied, looking at her for a moment before going back to her computers. “However, I think we can eliminate Oliver from our suspects. His phone is currently in Cape Town, South Africa. Which is a bit of a trip for him to have made, going from Malaga to Starling on to Cape Town.”

“I’ll let my people know what you found,” Lyla said, thinking about what Oliver had said as well as the flash drive that had been found on Waller’s desk. There were operations on there that weren’t even in the ARGUS system, not even as Director’s Eyes Only. There were people in the agency who were absolutely terrified about the information getting out. For herself, she was wondering if the information was tied to what had happened to Waller.

Thea wasn’t really paying attention to the rest of them. She was going over Oliver’s words and how surprised the others seemed by them. She almost wanted to ask them if they didn’t remember how Oliver was as the Hood. It had taken her some time after he came home from those five years to realize that this wasn’t the Oliver that had left on the Gambit, that he was harsher than before, though he tried to hide it. Add on the three years he’d been back and of course his view of things was different. Didn’t make him wrong or right, just different. Yet, here were people who hadn’t gone through a tenth of what her brother had suffered and they felt like they could judge him.

“Thea!” Dig called, sounding like it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get her attention.

“Yeah, Dig.”

“Get suited up. We’ll head out on patrol for a few hours.”

While Thea left the room to go and get changed, Lyla took baby Sara and left for the night. Because Laurel was already changing, that left Felicity and Dig more or less alone for the moment. He had noticed that the blonde IT girl was a little off tonight and was concerned enough to ask her about it.

“Felicity, what’s wrong?” Dig asked.

“Nothing’s wrong, exactly. Just something my dad said when he was first released. It just keeps rattling around my head. I feel like it is important, but I don’t know why,” Felicity told him.

“What did he say exactly?”

“I asked about what had happened to him and he was telling me that two people helped him escape. When he asked them why, all they said was ‘A life for a life’. It feels important, but I just don’t know why or what context. Did my father do something that saved one of them?”

“I see what you mean. Just another mystery from a day full of them, though,” Dig said. “Your father gets rescued on the same night that Waller and a small army of agents get killed. It feels like they have to be connected, but how? What was so important about your father that they would break into ARGUS to get him and only him out.”

“I don’t know. And I really don’t want to ask him about what he was doing for ARGUS. I mean, we went out for lunch today and we had to sit in a booth near the back, where he could see the entrance and not have people behind him. I think he’s still worried that ARGUS is going to grab him again and take him back,” Felicity told her friend.

Dig nodded at what she was saying. He’d seen people with that sense of hyper awareness, that need to keep their backs protected, eyes moving and seeing everything that is happening around them. A part of him hoped for her sake that her father could make the adjustment to life outside of a cell. Maybe once Lyla got ARGUS to officially back off, they could share that with Mr. Kuttler as well as the fact that Waller was dead. See if that gave him a sense of peace.

Seeing Laurel and Thea returning and ready, Dig put on the rest of his costume and joined them at the van. After driving into the Glades, it was time for the two women to take to the rooftops. Dig drove around on the streets, following a path placed on his GPS by Felicity back in the lair. She kept track of where they’d patrolled previously and varied the route based on that as well as police reports. By doing this, there was no pattern for the criminals to try and take advantage of.

The next three hours were a whole lot of nothing except a couple of corner store holdups and assorted other minor crimes. Dig gave it that long before calling his partners back to the van so they could go home. There was a part of him that worried about the calm, but it was overridden by the part that just wanted to go home and enjoy a full nights sleep.

Starling City

November 28, 2015

Sara and Sin left the hotel early, making sure they would have enough time to stop for coffee and muffins before they needed to be at the condo to let the delivery people in with their new furniture and everything else they had bought. They had stopped at the new place yesterday for a couple of hours, just so that they could plan out where everything would go and who would get which room. Sin had surprised Sara when she said that the other large bedroom with the private bathroom should be reserved for when Nyssa and Oliver visited. She didn’t say who would sleep in that room, but her grin had made it plain she had no doubt whoever didn’t was most likely to be found in Sara’s room.

As they walked into the lobby, both women stopped and introduced themselves to the man on duty at the desk. Sara was pleased to see that he was focused on his job, checking their identifications as well as the occupant information for the condo they were going to. The man assured Sara that he was aware of the deliveries that were coming, also. The pair were just about to go to the elevator when she saw the first truck pull up. The man just smiled and said he would get them to where they needed to be before he left the desk and went outside to direct the truck to the rear of the building.

Sara and Sin reached the entryway for the condo and went inside. It took her a moment to remember where the back door was, but then she had that opened and saw the large freight elevator located there. A few moments later, the first load arrived. Sara was pleased to see that this was two of the bedroom sets. She figured if they got the bedrooms in first, it would be easier to maneuver the rest of the furniture into position. Seeing the size of the beds, she knew that these went into the two larger bedrooms.

The pair got out of their way as the men brought in the load and put it where directed. They kept to the kitchen, drinking their coffee and eating the muffins. The second load arrived by the time they were finished. This was the other two bedrooms. Once those were in, two of the men set about putting the beds together while the other two brought up another load. By the time that they had all of the bedrooms put together, the living room was done, the bags of linens and such were in the condo, and the dining room table and chairs were on their way up, as well as small kitchen appliances, like coffee maker, toaster and microwave, and dishes and silverware.

Sara looked at the living room and smiled. There was a large couch, two stuffed chairs and a coffee table. The way that they were positioned made for a nice conversation area or a place to watch the TV that would be brought later. She and Sin had gone to an electronics store for that, as well as smaller TVs for their bedrooms and computers as well. With the last load from the truck in, the delivery people left and the two women got to work putting away the smaller stuff. They managed to get a few boxes done when the next delivery truck arrived. This was the electronics, so it was just a matter of showing them where they wanted everything and their techs got to work getting it both installed and set up, meaning the TVs were set to their optimum resolution and picture for where they would be viewed from. The computers were powered on and connected to the internet, then updated and had user accounts created on them. She’d had to pay extra for that, but it was definitely worth it. Otherwise, she’d have likely had to call Felicity and had her explain it all to them. That, or come over and set it up for them.

The good thing was that all of the major appliances had been included in the condo, so the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer were already there and ready to go. They were already making use of that, as Sin had loaded the sheets for the two bedrooms that would be hers and Sara’s into the washer as soon as she’d found them. The next load was of towels for their bathrooms. Once all of that was done, they would do the rest of the linens. At least this way, they could check out of the hotel in the morning and move their clothes over here, officially moving in.

Sin was especially excited about that, as it would mean the start of her training with Sara. She knew it would be hard, she didn’t expect anything less. Most of her life had been hard and she had survived by being willing to fight back. So, she would fight back in training, not against Sara, but against her own body. She would learn whatever Sara had to teach her, she knew she would. Not just because she wanted to learn, but also because she refused to fail Sara, her sister in all but blood.

“Thank you, Sara,” Sin said as she came up behind her and gave her a hug.

“You’re welcome, Sin, though why are you thanking me today?” Sara asked.

“Because you found me, took care of me. I know I’ve thanked you before, but knowing that we start my training tomorrow, I just felt the need to say it again.”

“Actually, I should be the one thanking you. Finding you, helping you made me feel better about myself than I have in a long time. I needed someone like you, to show me that there was still good inside of me. Then you stayed and became my friend before becoming my sister.”

“OK, before I start crying, we should make a choice about dinner. Do we want to order something to eat here and have out first meal in the new place? Or do we want to go back to the hotel and have one last room service meal?” Sin asked.

“I vote for the room service meal. We’ll do dinner here tomorrow,” Sara said.

Nanda Parbat

November 29, 2015

Oliver walked down the halls of the fortress, heading for the room Nyssa had told him about that morning. His schedule had finally aligned with Artemis’ so that they could train together. He had caught her training yesterday and taken a few moments to watch the woman. She was a skilled instructor, he would give her that. Now, he was curious to see what he could learn from her himself.

Walking into the room, he found the two women were already there. Nyssa was the one firing the bow, while Artemis observed her. The target was a small disk that was thrown across the room by an assassin. It acted like a Frisbee, but was much smaller than ones he remembered. That small size, especially from the edge, made it a difficult target. Yet, Nyssa was managing to hit most of them. Only when she had emptied her quiver did he step closer.

“A very novel training device,” Nyssa said with a smile.

“That’s what I thought when my sister showed them to me,” Artemis told her. “If a student can hit these consistently, they’ll be able to hit almost anything.”

“I agree,” Oliver said from behind them. Nyssa and Artemis both turned, with Artemis bowing to Ra’s. “No, today I am here as your student. I can’t have you bowing to me while you’re trying to correct me, now can I?”

“No, Ra’s. My apologies. Let’s get a quiver of arrows for you and we can begin.”

Artemis walked over to collect a full quiver and brought it over to Oliver. Taking it, he hefted it onto his back and made some adjustments. When he was settled, he looked at Artemis and almost missed the first disk that was thrown. Smiling as he hit it, he realized that she was going to push him. No breaks, no “are you ready”, just go. Another disk flew and he knocked and fired an arrow at it as well. After that, he was too busy going through his progressions to notice or really care if he had hit any specific target. Before he even realized it, he had emptied the quiver.

“Your form is excellent, your speed from quiver to release is good but I think we can make it better,” Artemis told him as she hefted a quiver of her own. “Watch.”

Oliver stepped back a pace and let the woman take his spot. Then he watched, really watched as she went through her entire quiver. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what she was doing different, yet he could tell that she was just that little bit faster. He also noticed that she did not miss a single disk.

“Now, tell me. What did you see?” Artemis asked.

“I saw that you were faster. Not by a lot, but just enough that I noticed it when watching you. But I don’t see how. You do the same movements that I do,” Oliver told her.

“The same or similar? Look at how my quiver is positioned compared to yours, then think about the movement to reach back for an arrow. Every little thing contributes, either adding a second or subtracting one. So, let me do this and then we’ll have you try again.”

With that, Artemis helped Oliver on with his quiver, but adjusted it how she would wear it rather than how Oliver usually did. The next hour was spent getting him used to the different position. He was surprised to find that he didn’t need to reach as far for the arrow, which meant that he was quicker to knock and fire than he previously had been. It also felt a little more natural than his previous position had. Yet, what he had been doing was all he’d known. It was the way that Yao Fei and Shado had shown him and it had worked for him. It wasn’t until now, being shown something different that he realized he could do better.

Once Oliver had the feel of it down, they moved on to him showing targets. They all knew that it would take time and practice before this would become ingrained muscle memory. Neither Nyssa or Oliver had expected this to happen. They, as well as Artemis, had expected a simple training session against someone on their skill level. But seeing the improvement, Oliver was definitely glad for it. Two hours had passed by this time and Oliver felt slightly bad that he was cutting into his instructor’s free time. Before he could speak, Artemis did so.

“Do you have any appointments you need to keep?”

“Nothing that won’t keep. Why?”

“Because I want to keep working with you on this. Or, we can schedule a daily time that I can train with you, until you get as comfortable with this as you were previously,” Artemis told him.

“Let’s keep going. And we’ll work out a time for all three of us to get together and train. Perhaps in the evenings, if that would work for you,” Oliver told her.

“As you wish. Now, lets do another quiver full, this time at the disks.”

Oliver fitted another loaded quiver, taking a moment to make certain it was how she’d shown him. Ready, he turned back in time to see the first disk in the air. As he reached for an arrow, he could feel himself getting faster, smoother with each repetition. He could also sense that he was hitting the targets as well. Before he realized it, it was over.

“Very nicely done, Husband,” Nyssa said with a smile. “Though I should be disappointed that you are getting to have all of the fun.”

“My apologies, Nyssa. I promise, next time you’ll get your turn,” Oliver told her with an answering grin..

“I look forward to that. For now, we have kept our instructor long enough, don’t you think?”

“I suppose so. We will see you tomorrow, then, Artemis. Unless you would care to join us for dinner?”

“Regretfully, I have other plans for the evening. My sister is back from her last mission and I would like to spend some more time with her before she is called away again. In fact, she was so eager to spend time with me, that she agreed to throw the targets for us today,” Artemis told them, as the other assassin removed her hood revealing a face that was similar enough to Artemis’ that it was clear that they were related. “I doubt she will make that mistake again, right Cheshire?”

“Throwing your toys isn’t that difficult, normally. Just wasn’t planning on so many in one session,” the older of the sisters said. “But my sister didn’t need to give you much instruction, which meant I had more work to do. It is an honor to meet you both.”

“Thank you,” Oliver said. “We’ll leave you to spend some time together.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Artemis said as she and her sister bowed.

With that, Oliver and Nyssa left the room and the sisters. Nyssa did notice that some of the good mood that her husband had been in seemed to have slipped away. She knew he was thinking about his own sister and how little time he’d spent with her recently. So, she left him to his thoughts as they walked back to their rooms, waiting for him to speak.

“What do you think about us going back to Starling? Over the holidays and spend a few days with Thea, Sara and Sin?” Oliver asked her.

“I think it would do you and them a world of good, Husband,” Nyssa said.

“Then, we do it, as long as there is nothing that requires my being here. Get there on the twenty-second, so that we have time to get a few gifts. Come back on the twenty-seventh, that gives us four or five days with them.”

“That sounds great. Even better if you keep it a surprise for your sister. When it gets closer, we tell Sara and only Sara that we are coming to see them. She will keep it a secret.”

“Yes, Sara’s very good at keeping secrets,” Oliver said with a grin.

With that, the pair went and got changed. Tonight, they would go and join the communal dining, spending time with the other members of the League. When her father had been Ra’s, Nyssa had noticed that his presence dampened the mood. With Oliver there as Ra’s, it seem that it actually improved the mood. He would spend about half his time walking among the tables, listening and speaking with various members. He didn’t just sit at the head table with a serious look on his face. Tonight would no doubt be more of the same.

Starling City

November 29, 2015

Sara and Sin had brought their clothes over from the hotel early that morning. They spent an hour or so getting everything put away in their rooms. After that, they headed out for breakfast. When they were ordering, Sara had cautioned Sin to eat lightly, as they would be training when they got back to the condo. So, the dark haired girl followed her friend’s lead and stuck with oatmeal, fresh fruit and orange juice. Once they were done, they went back to the condo and changed into workout clothes. Sin didn’t really have anything other than a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

“Don’t worry. We’ll go out later and get you some other stuff,” Sara told her when she saw the outfit. Sara, on the other hand, was wearing a neon orange sports bra and yoga pants so tight they might as well have been painted on. Any guys in the gym this morning were definitely in trouble, Sin thought as they left the condo and went down to the fitness center.

When they walked inside, Sara took a quick look and found what she was looking for. Near the windows was a treadmill, a stationary bike and a StairMaster. She lead Sin to the treadmill and had her get on.

“I’m going to set this at a jogging pace, Sin. We need to build your overall cardio fitness before we get started on any martial arts, so for now lots of running, lots of weight training.”

Sin opened her mouth to object, but then the treadmill started moving and she was focused on keeping up with that. Sara watched her for a few minutes, then increased the pace. After another few minutes, she increased the pace again. Sin now found that she wasn’t jogging, she was running. She glanced at Sara, afraid she was about to increase the pace again but instead found her standing there with a smile on her face. Sara then got on the stationary bike and began peddling. Sin didn’t watch her for long, as all of her focus needed to be on what she was doing.

Sara, as she was riding the bike, keep her attention not only on Sin, but also the rest of the room. She could feel a couple of sets of eyes on her, catching the pair of guys who were supposed to be working out. She noticed that they hadn’t lifted a weight in a few minutes and smirked a little. A part of her wondered if either of them would have the courage to do more than look, not that it would do them any good if they did try. She preferred who she was with now, thank you very much.

Looking back over at Sin, she could see the sweat dripping off the younger woman. She also saw that she was keeping the pace, but was having to work at it. She figured that was enough for now, so she got off the bike and went over to the treadmill, gradually slowing the pace. Sin looked at her gratefully, breathing hard and clearly a little tired.

“Good job, Sin,” Sara said. “We’ll keep doing that daily until you can maintain that pace easily for a half an hour or more.”

“A half hour at that pace? Kill me now,” Sin said with a glare.

“Why do people run, Sin?”

“Because they’re crazy?” Seeing Sara’s look, she answered again. “Because they’re trying to get away from someone.”

“That or to catch them,” Sara said quietly. “If you can’t run and keep running, you’ll never catch your prey or escape your adversary, Ta-er Aswad. That is the first lesson. Yes, it is difficult right now. But don’t think about how hard it is right now, think about how good you’ll feel when you can do it and do it easily too.”

“Yes, Sara,” Sin said quietly.

“Cheer up. I could be doing this the League’s way and just start with the martial arts training. This way is a lot less painful, trust me. Now, let’s move on to weights.”

With that, Sara led Sin over to a Nautilus machine. Setting a weight, she coached her student on the correct way to do the exercise before having her start a set of reps. They worked on her arms first, then her legs and then her core muscles. Sara took Sin through three sets of ten, with those guys watching her every move.

“Hey, beautiful. Do you offer private lessons?” one of them called to her.

“I do, for people who actually have potential,” Sara snarked back at him.

“Give me just five minutes and I can show you how much potential I have.”

“That’s odd, because I figured you as more of a one-minute man.”

“Damn, dude. She’s awesome,” the other guy told his friend with a laugh.

“Nah, more like a frigid bitch,” the first guy said.

“Sara, don’t,” Sin said as she caught the fury that flashed in her friend’s eyes.

“I’ll be good, I promise,” Sara told her with a wicked grin before turning to the two men. The one guy had the good grace to look embarrassed by his friend.

“See, your friend here is reasonably polite. I knew he was checking me out, he was somewhat obvious about it, but he let it go at that. You, on the other hand, have been dating your palm for so long that you’ve forgotten how to talk to a lady. So, I’ll give you a piece of advise. Calling one a bitch because she doesn’t fall for your bullshit is stupid and will get you hurt one day. Now, be a good little boy and run off before I forget my promise to my friend over there and decide to hurt you.”

The look in Sara’s eyes wasn’t hard to miss, but at the same time they guy didn’t want to seem like he was backing down. So, he stood there and stared at her for a good minute before turning to get his stuff. The nice guy gave Sara a look and mouthed an “I’m sorry”, so she gave him a little smile and nod before he went after his friend. Sara didn’t blame the guy for his friend being a jackass and he was sort of cute. If she saw him again, she’d get his number and maybe pass it on to Laurel. She’d consider Thea, but didn’t know if she was looking for a new relationship after Roy.

Turning back to Sin, the pair shared a smile. Seeing Sin was done with the exercises, they went back over to the treadmill and got her running again. Sin tried, but she wasn’t able to go as long this time as she had the first time. Sara, however, was very pleased. She figured that they would go upstairs, rest and order in some lunch. Then, in the afternoon, they would come back down to the gym and do the exercises all over again. If they could keep to that schedule, Sara figured that Sin would be ready to start with martial arts training in a week. When they did that, they would go to the gym in the morning before heading over to her safe house in the afternoon. But that was for the future. For now, they went upstairs and Sin headed straight for the couch. She collapsed own onto it with a sigh, while Sara took one of the chairs.

“I’m so tired, Sara, yet I feel like I’m full of energy too,” Sin said.

“You’re tired from the work you put in. The energy is kind of your body’s way of saying ‘Done good, kid’.”

“Well, I’m gonna take a nap. Wake me when food gets here.”

Sara smiled as Sin turned and fell asleep. Sara chose to follow her example, heading for her bedroom and stretching out on the bed. Checking her phone, she found no messages or missed calls. So, she closed her eyes and rested.


	14. Lessons Learned

December 1, 2015

Nanda Parbat

Oliver was in his private training room, practicing his swordsmanship against two of the League’s horsemen. The trio had been going at it for over an hour, starting with one versus one before progressing to two versus one. In the two versus one, the pair had managed to consistently cut the room in half and worked to move him into a smaller, more confined space. He was still struggling with effectively stopping that from happening. Not because he had a problem fighting in tight quarters, but rather because allowing it gave his opponents an advantage and he refused to allow that.

As he was beginning another attempt to break out of that trap, an assassin walked into the room and knelt.

“My apologies, my lord. Nyssa requested that I summon you on an urgent matter. She awaits you in the communications center.”

The two horsemen stepped back at that and bowed to him, as Oliver sheathed his sword and strode from the room. It was a matter of minutes before he reached the communication center. Nyssa was standing off to the side, a phone to her ear as she listened to the other side of the conversation. So, he nodded to her and walked over to look at the various reports that had come in since he’d been given the overnight reports that morning. Nothing critical was listed within them, so they could wait until they were brought up to his office for further study and reflection.

“We have them, Husband,” Nyssa called to him. “We’ve identified all the major players of the ring in Nice. They are requesting another four join them, so that they can take them all out at the same time. However, we will need to hurry as there is an auction scheduled for two days from now.”

“Could we try to take them at the auction?” Oliver asked, just to confirm what he already believed.

“I would not advise that. Not only would there be increased guards at the site, but we would be putting too many innocent lives at risk by doing so.”

“Agreed. Do we know where the girls will be held before the auction? I don’t want to take a chance of someone surviving and deciding to eliminate witnesses.”

Nyssa went back to the phone and spoke to the other party briefly before flashing Oliver a rather predatory smile.

“Nyssa, select five others to join you. When you reach Nice, you are in command of this mission. You know what to do, but let me make it clear, not one of the traffickers is to survive. One of us will stay with the girls until they have been rescued by competent authority,” Oliver told her.

“You know my belief, husband. No woman should suffer at the hands of me,” Nyssa replied. “I look forward to this, trust me.”

“Always. Now go and select your team.”

Nyssa gave a last few instructions on the phone, then left the communication center. Oliver had to fight his temptation to follow her. This was her mission, she was in command and he had to trust her to do what she believed was best. If he followed her, others could think that he didn’t trust her completely. They would be wrong, but appearance was just as important as fact. So, he waited a few minutes, then went to check on the training that was taking place.

When he got to the training rooms, he found Artemis was there training her students. She saw him enter the room and bowed to him. Oliver nodded back to her and gave her a brief smile. He then took a place along the wall and settled in to watch. After the students had all emptied their quivers, he watched her direct them to retrieve their arrows before walking back to him.

“My lord,” Artemis said, watching him.

“Your students are learning well, I see,” Oliver told her, meaning it. All of them had fairly solid groupings on their targets.

“Thank you, my lord. Is that all you are here for?”

“More or less, yes. I know you are an excellent teacher, but if I don’t show an interest in all aspects of their training….”

“Then they might think it doesn’t matter or that they don’t have to try as hard,” Artemis finished for him.

“Exactly. And that’s not good for them or the League,” Oliver said, looking at the students returning. It was clear that they had all seen him standing there, talking with Artemis. And it was exactly what he wanted. “It looks as if they are ready to continue, Artemis, so I will leave so that you may do so. I will see you this evening for our training session?”

“Yes, my lord.”

Oliver ignored the bows as he left the room and moved on through several others before heading to his office. There, he found that the stack of reports from the morning had been replaced by those reports that had come in since then. He settled to work on them, giving each his due attention. Looking at the stack, he figured he’d be here until dinner at least. Just as long as he made it to his evening training session, that was all that mattered.

Starling City

December 1, 2015

Sara and Sin went down to the gym in their building. Both were dressed in matching gray sports bras and yoga pants. The pair had gone shopping after Sin’s first day of training and picked up some outfits for her and a few new ones for Sara. When they went inside, both were pleased to find it deserted, so that they could exercise in peace. Sin went over to the treadmill, which is where Sara had her starting. Today, she was able to get up to a run much quicker than previously and she set the timer for thirty minutes. She wasn’t sure she would be able to do the full time at a run, but she intended to push herself as far as her body would take her.

Sara had caught what Sin did and smiled a little to herself. Her student was getting better with each trip to the gym and was willing to push herself, which made training her easy and a challenge. Easy in that she didn’t always have to push her to work harder, go faster or do more. A challenge in trying to make sure that she didn’t overdo things simply because she refused to back down. So, Sara got on the bike and started to ride, while also keeping an eye on Sin as well. When she finally caught the younger woman tiring, she saw that twenty-five minutes had passed.

“OK, Sin, start slowing it down,” Sara told her, pleased.

“I can do it, Sara,” Sin managed to get out in gasps.

“Sin, start slowing down now.”

Sin obeyed this time, though it was clear she wasn’t pleased. Once she came to a stop, she got off the treadmill and stalked over to the Nautilus machine. Sara got off the bike and followed her, knowing that she had to address this here and now.

“Sin,” Sara started, only to be interrupted by Sin.

“Why did you stop me, Sara? I could have done it. I was close, you know I was.”

“And what would you have accomplished if I’d let you keep going? If you had gotten hurt because you pushed too hard?”

“I’d have proven that I’m ready for you to start training me,” Sin said.

“I am already training you, but you don’t see that because you’re looking too far ahead,” Sara told her. “You’ve seen me fight, Sin. How do you think I’m able to do some of those moves?”

“By training?”

“Training teaches you the way to do something. But being fit and strong, that give me the ability to execute what my training has taught me. For example, I can show you how to climb a wall, but if you don’t have the arm strength to take your weight as you climb it, you’ll never make it to the top. This is about giving you the strength to do what I’ll teach you.”

Sin went silent at that, absorbing what Sara was trying to teach her. As she did so, she sat down on the Nautilus machine and began working on her arms. She kept on thinking as she went through her first rotation on the machine. She realized that she was wrong. She was so focused on the goal, what she wanted to accomplish, that she wasn’t seeing that Sara was building the path that would take her there. She just wanted to get there, so that she could be like Sara, like Nyssa and join the League.

“I’m sorry, Sara,” Sin said, as she added a little more weight, then began her second circuit on the machine. “I just want to reach the point where I can be out there with you and not just running in place, staring out a window.”

“Hey, I get it. Let me tell you something an old teacher of mine told Oliver and he told me. ‘There once was a young boy whose father dropped him off at a Shaolin monastry to study Kung Fu. After a year, the boy came to visit his family. When asked what he'd learned, the boy hung his head in shame. All the monks had him do was slap water in a barrel for a year. The family didn't believe him, so he showed them. He raised his hand and hit the table they were eating on. It broke in half.’ Now, would you rather be doing this or slapping water in a barrel?” Sara asked, her grin tinged with a hint of sadness as she thought of Shado, one of many who had died on her own path.

“What did this teacher teach Oliver?”

“She taught him how to use a bow. She had him slapping water in a bowl to build up his arm strength. She told him that story when he was complaining about what she had him doing.”

“Is that why you’re telling it to me?” Sin asked.

“No, I’m telling it to you as a way of showing you that even though you may not understand the reasons I’m having you do something, I do have a reason and that this is all part of my plan to help you become what we both want you to be,” Sara told her.

As they had been talking, Sin had finished her third rotation on the Nautilus machine. Getting up, she went back over to the treadmill. This time, she set the timer to twenty-five minutes when she started to run. Sara smiled in approval, as she started a rotation on the Nautilus herself. She also wondered if she might not have to up her timetable for the younger woman.

Starling City

December 1, 2015

Felicity was in her office at Palmer Technologies when Lyla came to visit her. Seeing that she was alone, the blonde’s mind began to race as to the reasons for the visit. She had to take several calming breathes before instructing her EA to show her in.

“Hi, Felicity,” Lyla said as she approached her desk.

“What brings you by, Lyla. Not that you can’t come by, it’s just that you usually don’t. At least not without Dig and he’s not here. Is he OK?” Felicity asked in a ramble.

“John’s fine and so is baby Sara. They’re at home. I’m actually here on official business for ARGUS. This is your father’s file. And this is a notarized statement that Noah Kuttler is not the subject of any ARGUS investigations at this time. So, nobody from ARGUS is looking for him and it will stay that way as long as he doesn’t appear back on our radar.”

Felicity took the file and the letter from Lyla. She put the file on her desk, then opened the letter and read it. She would have Laurel look at it as well, but it appeared to be exactly what Lyla had said it was. With that, her father was completely free. She didn’t realize she was crying until she noticed that the letter was blurry. She removed her glasses and wiped her eyes, knowing she’d have to step into the bathroom when the other woman left and make some repairs to her makeup.

“Thank you.”

“I’ve also been asked to apologize on behalf of the Secretary for Homeland Security. DHS was not aware of what Waller had done to your father and it was never authorized. Task Force X, for all of its faults, was authorized and the people selected were actual criminals who were given a choice,” Lyla told her. “There’s no way we can give back what we’ve taken from him. In his file is contact information regarding any civil suit your father may wish to file.”

“I’ll let him know that,” Felicity said. She knew that they could look at a case against the government for what happened to her father, but would it really change anything. She had no reason not to believe Lyla when she said that others hadn’t known about what was done to her father. The person responsible was beyond answering for what had happened. There was also the fact that it would force her father to essentially relive what had been done and she didn’t want that. Not for whatever money the government would throw at them to make them go away.

“I’d offer to make the apology in person, but I doubt your father would want to see me or anyone else associated with ARGUS right now.”

“True, but I think this will go a long way to relieving his fears. In time, he may be ready to hear it from you.”

Lyla just nodded at that. She’d done what she came for and she was sure that Felicity had a busy day, so she made her farewells and left. She was wrong, however. Felicity had had a busy morning, but her afternoon was remarkably free. The only thing scheduled was a meeting with Curtis about the status of his project. So, she called down to his lab and asked if he could move the meeting up. She would do that now, then take the rest of the afternoon off.

Curtis didn’t have a problem with moving the meeting up. It would allow him to work the rest of the day uninterrupted, so he saw it as a win. The pair went over the timeline and the budget. They were still on track, but had started to drift a little over budget. Curtis explained that this was due to a manufactured defect in a component of the Power Cell, which had necessitated a new shipment to be made. They believed that they would recoup the loss from the supplier, but until they did, it was still on their books. Felicity made a note to look further into that tomorrow.

With that, the meeting was done and Felicity could leave. Going down to the parking garage, she got into her red Mini and drove off. Thea’s condo wasn’t too far and the traffic was fairly light, given the time of day. It did take her a minute to find somewhere to park, but once that was done the rest was relatively easy. She knocked on Thea’s door and waited.

“Hey, Felicity,” Thea said as she let her in. “We just got done watching a movie, so perfect timing.”

Felicity could see her father by the couch, coming over to her. The pair of them shared a hug.

“Yeah, Thea has decided that she needs to get me up to date on the movies I’ve missed. Today, it’s been the Star Wars prequels,” Noah said with a laugh.

“Well, I have something that will make today even better, then,” Felicity told him. “ARGUS has officially stated that they are not after you. There are no investigations open on you, nothing. Lyla brought it by earlier and I wanted to come over as soon as I could and tell you.”

“So, its finally over.”

“Yeah, Daddy. It is finally over. You’re free now, completely free.”

“Have you told your mother about me?” Noah asked.

“No. I wanted you to be ready before I unleashed her on you,” Felicity said. “You know how she can be.”

“So, still hyper-excitable and you’re not sure if she will hug me or slug me when she does see me?”

Felicity just nodded her head. She loved her mother, but there was no way she’d ever understand her. She knew that the years after her father disappeared had been tough, on her mom even more than her, and she didn’t know how Donna would react to seeing Noah again. She hoped that her mother would listen and let them explain what had happened, but it was just as likely that she’d go off on an epic rant at him, punch him in the face and then rush off as fast as her six-inch heels would take her.

“Don’t worry about it, Felicity. Whatever happens between your mother and I, you are still our daughter and I promise we will always love you. Just as I went through things after ARGUS took me, so did she. She was left to figure out how to explain to you why daddy wasn’t there anymore, how to put food on the table, a roof over you heads and all the other things that I had done. We all suffered in different ways because of this,” Noah told her.

“So, do you want me to call and have her come for a visit? And just see what happens?”

“That sounds fine. Maybe have you ease her into it, instead of just springing me on her. That way, if she’s completely against seeing me, she doesn’t have to.”

“Good, I’ll call her in the morning and let you know when she’ll be here. Now, you said you guys were watching the Star Wars prequels? Which one are you on?” Felicity asked.

Soon, they were all settled down to watch Revenge of the Sith. Felicity and Thea each had a glass of wine, Thea’s in spite of the look thrown at her by the older woman. Once the movie was over, they ordered delivery from a local Chinese restaurant for dinner. Felicity stayed when Thea went to the lair, telling her quietly to call if they needed her. The rest of the night passed with her telling her father about her childhood. It wasn’t the same as being there, but it was like manna from heaven compared to what he’d had before. As Noah thought about it, he remembered something from a book he read while held, "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'" So, he would regret the lost years, but he would remember to keep his focus on the present and the future, not the past.

December 2, 2015

Nice, France

Nyssa and her group of assassins arrived at the League safe house earlier in the day. While the others unpacked, she went and spoke with the man who had been in charge of the mission. Once she told him that she was taking over, he bowed and motioned her into a room that they were using to plan the mission.

“It is good to see you again, Nyssa al Ghul,” Navid told her.

“It has been what, seven months?” Nyssa asked.

“Since your husband became Ra’s, yes. I was honored to be given this mission, but as it grew, I knew that we would need more than just those of us here. So, I’m happy to see you and Cheshire here. The others, I don’t know as well.”

“Yes, they are relatively new, but they are all fully trained and have been bloodied. This is too important to bring new assassins on.”

“If I may, I believe our best course of action would be for you and Cheshire to take these two targets. We have determined that they are the overall leaders, so their elimination is the top priority,” Navid told her.

Nyssa looked at the maps, then at the board. She saw that Navid did as she normally would, order the targets in terms of importance. So, as she looked, she began to plan who would be assigned to which target or targets. The biggest would be the warehouse where the girls were being held, just in terms of sheer size. Because of that, they would need multiple assassins there to take out the guards and free their captives.

“We’ll need to hold going after the warehouse until last,” Nyssa said. “Assign one member to keep watch and act if absolutely necessary. As we complete our assignments, we will group here, the top of this building. When we have sufficient numbers, we take the warehouse.”

“I would say two, just in case. We can double up on these two targets, given how close their residences are.”

“And their security?”

“No where near as good as I would choose if I was in their line of work,” Navid told her. “A couple of guards at most and a home security system. One of our shadows works as an installer for several of the companies in the area and has given us the system codes of all of our targets.”

Nyssa wanted to laugh at that. It was shocking how easy it was to compromise the security of their targets. Bringing Cheshire felt almost like overkill at this point, but she knew the woman had a hatred for human traffickers that rivaled her own. The reason why was something she didn’t know, but it felt personal to her. She had once asked her father about the sisters, as except for her and her sister, she had never encountered another pair in the League. From what little he had said, Cheshire was already a skilled killer, though unrefined when compared with someone with League training. Al-Owal had encountered her while on a mission and brought her before Ra’s. When she was offered a place in the League, her only request was that a place be found for her sister. The younger sister was somewhat skilled with a bow, but as yet not a killer. Ra’s had taken a day to consider her request before granting it.

In the years since, Nyssa had worked several times with Cheshire but they had rarely spoken. The other woman preferred to focus all of her attention on the mission at hand. Nyssa knew that many in the League considered the woman arrogant, but none could deny her skills. Now, Nyssa called Cheshire over to her and had her look over the targets and the maps.

“What do you think?” Nyssa asked.

“It is very doable, Nyssa. Either you or I could take the two targets that are close together. Unless you’ve slowed down since your marriage,” Cheshire said with a grin, knowing such a thing was bordering on the impossible.

“I take it that means you want the two targets?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“Be my guest,” Nyssa told her. “With that decided, we leave at dark.”

Nyssa then walked over to Navid and together they gave out the rest of the assignments. She did place Navid at the warehouse, telling him that she wanted him to attack it as soon as he had sufficient forces. She also wanted him to monitor communications, not just the League’s but also the local police. She didn’t expect anything to happen, but she would rather be safe than sorry.

As they waited, members checked and rechecked their weapons. It had little to do with nerves, but rather was something that had been drilled into them. Finding out that you have a problem with your weapon when you were facing your target was the absolute wrong time. All of them were ready and eager when darkness fell. They left from the roof of the building, sticking to the shadows as they made their way to their targets.

Cheshire was passing the house of her second target when she was gifted a golden opportunity. The man had stepped out onto the balcony outside his bedroom. She paused and waited, watching the man as he extracted a pack of cigarettes, placed one in his mouth and went to light it. As the lighter flared, she struck. Knowing that she still had the more important target to take care of and not wanting to alert anyone, she’d thrown a dart into the side of his neck. The man’s fingers had just barely touched it when he dropped to his knees, as the poison took his life.

Moving quickly, Cheshire made her way to the other home. She spotted two guards patrolling the grounds, so she waited for a gap and then jumped to the roof of the house. A moment later and she was hanging outside her target’s bedroom window. She took a knife out and used it to force the latch on the window, then slowly raised it. She then slid into the bedroom and approached the bed. Her hand covered his mouth as she thrust the knife into his heart. The man’s wife barely stirred beside him, not knowing that she was now a widow.

Cheshire went to the window and fired a grapnel arrow at the next building. She waited for the guard below to pass, then launched herself off into the night. Making her way back to the rooftops, she headed for the warehouse. She was hoping that they would leave something for her, but was not overly disappointed to find that the warehouse was liberated by the time she arrived. Getting to watch those girls being freed was a worthy second prize, she thought, remembering another time, another warehouse. Everything she’d gone through, everything she’d done to get there had all culminated in those few seconds when her eyes had found her sister’s and it was at that point that she’d known her calling. Joining the League had enabled her to protect her sister by getting her the training she needed to never be a victim again, while also offering her a world of similar villains upon whom she could visit justice.

Monastery in Tibet

December 4, 2015

Talia and Adrian Chase were sparring against one another, as she worked with him to improve his swordsmanship. She was holding nothing back, pushing her student onto the defensive repeatedly. He would find an opening and try to exploit it, only to be blocked with her sword or have her spin out of the way. She did not try to injure him, however, for if she did so, it might be necessary to use her Lazarus pit and she did not want to have to do that. The pit was intended for her and her alone. No matter how useful he might be eventually, he was still a pawn in her own game, nothing more. If he fell, she would simply find another to replace him with.

“Mistress, the package you were expecting has been delivered,” one of Talia’s followers said from the doorway.

“Come, let us see what they have uncovered so far,” Talia said to Adrian as she left the room and made her way to her office. There was a file box sitting on the desk, tied closed with string and tape. She took one of her knives and cut through the bindings, before lifting the lid off. Inside was a stack of folders, containing everything for newspaper articles to police reports. She lifted out a stack and handed them to Chase.

“Start reading. Make note of anything that you deem important. We will both go through these files, then compare what we find.”

“Yes, Talia,” Chase told her as he took the first folder from the stack and started to read the documents that it contained.

Chase had to give it to whoever had complied these, they were exceedingly through. He found clippings that had only a single mention of Oliver Queen’s name, from charity galas and news announcements regarding Queen Consolidated. Those articles were essentially useless, which meant that the time wasted on reading them could have been put to better uses. Still, he knew Talia and she expected him to read every single piece of paper, no matter how important he might think it was. So, that is what he would do.

For Talia, she was finding information. Whether it would end up being useful or not, was the question. The stack she was going through all concerned the trial and acquittal of Oliver’s mother for her part in the destruction of the Glades and the deaths of over five hundred people. She wondered how Oliver had come to terms with the fact that the disease that he had returned home to cure his city of originated from the people closest to him. Not just his father, but also his mother and the father of his best friend. Did that feeling of betrayal burn, burn as badly as being told by your own father that you are not worthy of being his heir only to first see your younger sister named thus, then an outsider that you yourself had saved and trained.

His mother might have been useful as bait, but she had been killed. There was his sister, though. The last living member of his family. What would Oliver sacrifice to save her, Talia wondered as the put the last article back into that folder and closed it. She then took the next folder and found police reports, including from Oliver’s arrest for being the Hood. Not the most imaginative name, but then, she did not expect much better from police. She read those reports slowly, seeking any details. She laughed when she read that he was let off because the Hood was spotted miles away from where he was confirmed to be at a party. She looked at that and instantly suspected he had a partner, or at least an ally. The police looked and simply said, ‘Must be innocent’.

With that realization, she looked to see if there was anything more about Starling City’s vigilante included. She was rewarded with two large folders full of documents. So, she put them to the side for her to go through next, then turned her attention back to what she had been reading. Only when she was done did she start on the other files. Reading the articles, she looked for pictures, comments, anything that could give her a lead on the person or persons she was certain were working with Oliver. There was at least one, just from the fact that someone went out in his costume to draw suspicion away from him.

Sadly, for Talia, the few pictures that were included in the articles were too poor quality to be useful. Eyewitness reports told of a man occasionally being seen with the Hood, but the descriptions was universally worthless. Some said that he was black, others said he was white. He was tall and muscular in one, shorter and more wiry in another. There were even a couple of sighting of a woman in black with him, but there were also reports of that same woman working solo. So, was she a partner or had their interests aligned in specific situations?

By the time that they were done, they still had no sense of clarity. No idea of targets except for two, Thea Queen and Laurel Lance. Thea, because she was Oliver’s sister, and Laurel, because she was a woman Oliver had loved and Talia believed still did. There was still a lot more work to do before she would even consider moving in such a bold fashion against Ra’s, because she knew any move she made in that direction would draw an immediate and deadly response. So, such a move would only be as a last resort or after she had removed other pieces from the board. If she could only find the pieces.


	15. Guess Who's Back

December 5, 2015

Starling City

Sara smile as she rode into the garage of her safe house. As she parked the bike, Sin slipped off the back and stood looking around. When Sara had said they were going someplace, she had never expected something like this. She looked around the old garage, curious as to why they were there.

“Come on, Sin,” Sara said, drawing the younger woman’s attention, then leading the way upstairs.

“What is this place?” Sin asked.

“Think of it as a replacement for the clock tower. This is my safe house. Remember where this is, OK?”

“Got it, Sara.”

“Now, let’s get changed and then we’ll start training,” Sara told her.

“Training? There weren’t any weights or stuff downstairs,” Sin replied as she started changing into workout clothes. Since it was cooler in here than it had been in the gym, both of them opted for sweatshirts and yoga pants. Once they were dressed, Sara took them back downstairs and to the far side of the garage, where there were some mats laid out over the concrete.

“So, I think you’re ready for us to add something more to your training. Today, you will begin learning Jeet Kune Do.”

“What?”

Sara just smiled at Sin before taking off her shoes and stepping onto the mats. Sin copied what Sara was doing. They started slowly, working on blocking attacks first. Sara would demonstrate the move first, then have Sin attempt it. They would work on that move until Sin was able to successfully block at full speed, then they would move on to the next type of block.

Once Sin had a good grasp of blocks that she could use, Sara started showing her attacks. Just like before, Sara demonstrated and then Sin would attempt it. Sara was impressed at how quickly Sin seemed to be picking things up. So, she started throwing attacks in with her blocks of her student’s attacks. The first caught the younger woman off guard, but then she began expecting them. Both women had smiles on their faces by this time. Sara then started increasing the speed at which they went until they were full on sparring, using the simple moves that Sin had learned thus far.

The pair only stopped when Sin was breathing hard and having trouble defending. At that, Sara led them back upstairs and got Sin resting on the slightly battered couch. There was a small refrigerator in the corner, out of which she took two bottles of water.

“So, how do you feel?” Sara asked.

“Slightly tenderized, but as soon as I get a little energy back, I want to do it again,” Sin told her.

“Not today. From now on, we’ll hit the gym in the morning and come here after lunch and a break. Eventually, we’ll move to three mornings in the gym and the rest of the time, we’ll be here. We’re going to train every day. When you’ve gotten a solid grasp on hand-to-hand, we’ll move onto weapons. At that point, we’ll need to try a few until we find what weapon works beside for you.”

“And when will I be able to go out there with you?”

“When I feel you’re ready, I’ll test you. Pass the test and I’ll let you join me. Fail and we continue with your training and then test you again at a later time,” Sara told her.

“But how will you know?” Sin asked.

“Trust me, I’ll know. Now, get changed, so we can head back for dinner.”

December 5, 2015

Nanda Parbat

Oliver stood in the hall where the Lazarus Pit was located, looking at the waters. His shoulder ached from the cut that he had received in training that morning. It was relatively minor, compared to many of the wounds he’d received in the past. His horsemen had suggested he use the Pit to heal the wound, but he had resisted. He was prepared to suffer a little discomfort if it meant he might not have to deal with the potential of blood lust.

A smile crossed his face as he turned. He had felt Nyssa and her team enter the room. He waited from them to kneel, then gestured for them to rise. Walking forward, he looked them over, pleased with what he saw.

“You have done well,” Oliver told them. “The ring is destroyed, the girls freed and we have leads to where we might find other girls, but also the scum that bought them. You are all off for the next three days. You may train if you wish to do so, but otherwise, you have no duties. Report back after three days for your next assignments.”

The assembled assassins bowed before leaving the room.

“So, how did you manage without me, Husband?” Nyssa asked with a smirk. She had noticed him slightly favoring his left arm and suspected a training accident of some kind.

“You know, don’t you?” Oliver asked her back.

“That you are injured, yes. But not how it happened.”

“Got a little overconfident in my swordsmanship and had to be reminded that I’m not yet as good as I think I am.”

“How badly?” Nyssa asked as she moved behind him.

Oliver undid the buttons on his tunic enough so that he could expose his shoulder and the wound. Nyssa simply clicked her tongue against her teeth and sighed. The wound was not bad and there would be no ill effects on him once it healed. For now, he would just have to deal with the pain, which he seemed to be handling. For the most part, she amended as her fingers hit a spot that had him jerk away.

“Not too bad. So, other than that, how are you?”

“I’m good, actually. Until this heals, I can’t train much, so I’ve been reading some and spending time watching training classes,” Oliver told her.

“Ah, spending time with Artemis?” Nyssa said with a grin. “Please don’t tell me I missed the contest between you and her.”

“What contest, Nyssa?”

“Why, to see who’s the better archer, of course.”

Oliver laughed at that, recalling Malcolm saying something similar when they’d faced off. He believed that he was the better archer, but he was certain that Artemis would claim she was. It wasn’t arrogance that made them feel that way, it was a need. For, if they did not have that belief, then they were already giving the advantage to their opponents. That confidence in his skills had seen him through many a fight. Sometimes against opponents that any reasonable observer would have said he had little hope against. Although, if he was being completely honest with himself, many of those had just been his refusal to give up.

Such a contest against Artemis would be enjoyable for them both, he suspected. A chance to pit themselves against someone of equal skill without the risk of death being the end result. But not just yet, not while his shoulder was still injured. It would have to be when both were in their best condition, to make for a completely level playing field.

Nyssa watched her husband as the idea of a contest played through his mind. She could see how much the idea appealed to him, from the smile that crossed his face to the way his fingers twitched. She remembered having such contests herself, against other members of the League as a way to test herself. She thought of something she’d been told, ‘To be the best, you have to beat the best’. Watching her husband compete against Artemis would be interesting on many levels. She suspected that they both would push the other to new levels.

Across the compound, Artemis was finishing a training session when her sister walked in. The pair exchanged a brief smile before she turned her attention back to her students. Still, she was glad a few minutes later when the session ended and the students left. Now, she was able to go over to her sister. As she approached, she noticed the expression on Cheshire’s face and frowned.

“What’s wrong, Jade,” Artemis asked.

“Nothing, Artemis. Just my thoughts going in the wrong direction, is all,” Cheshire told her.

“The mission?”

“Kind of. It was human traffickers, again. And we took them down again. And in a month or two, a new group will rise up and take their place.”

“I know, sis. We do what we can to save as many as we can,” Artemis told her.

“And I get that. But then I see those young girls and it’s like the last ten years never happened and I’m back on that dock….”Cheshire said.

“And it’s me that you’re there to save. Except this time, there is no League, no help. Just you and your knives and Sai against how many Triad? 10, 20?”

Cheshire couldn’t speak, couldn’t bring herself to say the words. However, the look in her eyes said plenty and her sister was easily able to read her. So, Artemis led the pair to a corner of the room and settled down, her sister in front of her. There, they began going through various meditations. Because, as her sister had been talking, she’d been remembering her own part in that night. How the men had talked freely about the fate that awaited a young girl such as herself. She’d sat in that warehouse among the other girls and prayed for a deliverance that she knew was not likely to come. Something to save her from a life of slavery and sexual servitude. When her sister had appeared, that first flicker of hope had flared as her mind struggled to comprehend what it was seeing. After it was over, she remembered hugging her sister. Then, a month later, they were in Nanda Parbat and begin a life of servitude that was entirely different than what she’d previously been about to face. Here, they had taken her and shaped her into a deadly warrior, skilled not just with her bow, but a whole host of weapons and more importantly, weaponless as well. Never again would she be the victim. As for her sister, Jade had become Cheshire, a most feared assassin.

It took time, but eventually both sisters were able to find their center again. Looking at each other, they shared a smile and hug. Nothing in their training had been able to break the bond between them. Not that Ra’s had really tried, because he knew that bond was the key to unleashing the full potential of both sisters.

December 6, 2015

Starling City

It had taken her a couple of days to get someone to cover her shifts, but Donna Smoak was finally able to come to Starling. Her curiosity had been running overtime since Felicity had called her. She loved her daughter, but the two of them did not have the greatest of relationships. Donna was a free spirit more into fashion and men than her genius of a daughter. Felicity was a geek and socially awkward, mostly because she kept getting pushed ahead in school. Going to classes with kids two or three years older than you made it hard to make friends. College was even worse, considering that the world of bars and frat parties was pretty much off limits when you’re underage even when you graduate. All combined to give the two women little to actually bond over.

So, Donna now found herself approaching her daughter’s home and wondering if this time would be different. She knocked and waited, hearing the sound of heels on hardwood from within. A moment later, the door opened and she gave a squeal of delight at seeing her daughter. The pair ended up in a hug that lasted a couple of minutes. When they separated, Donna took a good long look at her daughter. She didn’t see a ring on her finger and it didn’t exactly look like she had put on any weight, thus seeming to have eliminated two of her immediate guesses.

“So, what was so important that you needed me to come as soon as I could?” Donna asked.

“It’s about Dad, Mom,” Felicity started. “He’s been found.”

“OK, so what does that mean? The police finally caught him? Or...you don’t mean his body was found?”

“No, Mom. He was found. He’s here in Starling City. It turns out, he didn’t just leave us that day. An organization called ARGUS basically kidnapped him. They needed a hacker who was, lets say, ethically challenged and Dad fit the bill.”

“And why was he released now?” Donna asked.

“Someone broke into ARGUS for some reason and found him there. They released him and dropped him off at my work. We don’t know why this happened,” Felicity told her, feeling a little bad about lying to her mother. Then again, telling her the truth would mean bringing her into a different world and it wasn’t like she’d be better off knowing more. Felicity knew the more and she was still having trouble figuring it all out.

Donna went quiet at that, feeling the enormity of the revelation. She’d spent the last two decades believing that her husband had walked away from her and their daughter. In time, she could have forgiven him leaving her, but not the pain he’d put their little girl through. He hadn’t had to cope with the crying, the screaming, the begging for Daddy to come back. Promises that she would try to be better if Daddy would just come home. Felicity, Donna suspected, had never gotten over that feeling of abandonment. Combined with what Cooper had done to her and it was small wonder that her daughter rarely went out, rarely dated. Instead, she threw herself into her work and her computers, a world of machines that were almost always there for her.

Donna freely admitted she’d never understood that world of gadgets and gizmos. She’d tried her best for her daughter, but it was so far beyond her she was lucky to catch the edges. Still, she’d done her best to be both father and mother to her genius child and where she couldn’t understand the what, she could cheer on the accomplishments. The math championships won, the first prizes in the science fairs, the scholarships. All the while, she cursed Noah Kuttler for being a coward. Only now to find out that he hadn’t left of his own volition, but had been taken. Not for any criminal act, but simply because he had skills that some group had needed.

“If you found him, then why isn’t he here?”

“Because, he wasn’t sure if you would want to see him. So, rather than being here and forcing himself on you, we decided that I would break the news to you. If you want to see him, I’ll make a call and he’ll come over. If not, then I’ll let him know that too. Just remember, Mom, he’s not going to be the same man he was all those years ago. I can’t say what’s changed, because my memories are more focused on the happy moments. I just can’t help think about Oliver when I think about Dad. The Oliver before the Gambit isn’t the Oliver that returned, those years changed him in a number of ways. Dad was held for almost four times as long as Oliver was missing, so I have to believe that he’s changed as well. Only you can decide if it is for the better or worse.”

Donna thought about that. Did she want to see him? She knew he was leaving the decision to her, but was it really her decision alone? If she said no and left without seeing him, what would it change? Her daughter would still have her father in her life is she so chose. Her ex-husband was still her ex-husband. But, if she saw him, it opened the possibility for so many more things. At its worst, it would finally give her a measure of closure to that part of her life. At best, it could be a second chance for them. But, for any of that to happen, she would have to meet with him and listen to what he had to say.

“I think I should see him,” Donna said, “and see where we go from there.”

Felicity took out her phone and called Thea. If either of the women had been in the loft and seen Noah for the last hour or so, their decision would have been much easier. Thea had worked to keep him calm as his mind played out all kinds of scenarios for what might take place. Coupled with his emotions running wild and he was something of a mess by the time the call came. The answer was obviously a yes, as the young woman went to grab her car keys and pocketbook. Yet, Noah found that he wasn’t able to rise from the couch he was sitting on at that moment. It took, in fact, a long moment of deep breathing before he was finally able to stand and then walk somewhat unsteadily to the door.

The drive across town didn’t take too long, or so it seemed to him. Noah was thankful when Thea didn’t try to make conversation on the way over to Felicity’s house. He didn’t want to seem rude and not answer her, but too much was going on inside for him to uphold his part of a conversation if she had tried. It seemed a matter of moments before he felt the car stop and Thea touch his arm.

“Her place is the door on the right,” Thea told him, pointing out the window.

“Aren’t you coming in?” Noah asked.

“No, this is something private. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be out here waiting, I’ve got a book loaded on my phone too. So, take all the time you need.”

“Thank you, Thea.”

With that, Noah got out of the car and walked up the path to his daughter’s home. With every step he took, the nervous feeling increased. If it wasn’t for his daughter opening the door and stepping out, he might have fled. Yet, Felicity’s smile and open arms beckoned him forward and he was powerless to fight their appeal. Stepping through the front door, he saw her again and he was completely unashamed of the tears running down his cheeks. She was as beautiful as her remembered her, those memories and a couple of pictures of her with their daughter all he’d had for nineteen years.

Donna watched this and felt her own tears forming. She’d thought herself prepared, only to find that she wasn’t. Whatever anger she’d felt previously evaporated as swiftly as water in the Nevada desert. This wasn’t the man she remembered, not even physically. This man had been broken by what he’d endured, things that she knew nothing about. She knew it would not be possible to go back to how it was before, because neither of them was who they were before. But, perhaps they could work to build something from who they were now.

“Hello, Noah,” Donna said. “How are you?”

“Adjusting slowly,” Noah told her. “Felicity’s friends have been a god send.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Her friend Thea is letting me stay with her. She’s nice, doesn’t try to pry or get me to talk. She’s actually getting me to watch movies she says I have to see.”

“You used to hate when I would try to get you to take us to the movies,” Donna said with a smile. “You’d call them a waste of time.”

“I know. But that was when I had the freedom to do other things. While I was held, all I could do was work, read or sleep. The first couple of years, I used to dream of all the things I would do when I got out of there. I’d dream of spending more time with you both. Then, I stopped dreaming because I’d always wake up and be right back in that cell. It was better for me not to dream of things that would never be, I told myself,” Noah told her.

“Do you have any plans now?”

“Not really. I know I need to find a job, but I need to figure out how to explain the lack of previous employment. Plus, I’m not sure I want to do anything technology related. My ‘skills’ are what caused this all to happen in the first place and I don’t want to chance going down that path again. I also don’t want to be too far away from Felicity. I’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”

“No, you don’t, Dad,” Felicity told him. “I don’t blame you for what that witch did to you, to all of us.”

“None of which she would have done if I hadn’t been doing what I was. If I had been a normal person, working a normal nine to five job, there would have been no reason for Amanda Waller to have ever noticed me. But, because I wanted more, I became a criminal instead. So, yes, I’m to blame for all of this,” Noah told her. “All the pain, the struggles, the headache that you both suffered is because of me.”

Felicity wanted to pinch herself, because this felt like a bad dream. She’d heard similar words before, from Oliver Queen. She’d thought that man was the king of self-blame, but nope, here was her dad vying for the crown. And doing a masterful job of it, too, if she did say so herself. And just like Oliver, he was ignoring the fact that other actors played a major role in what they were blaming themselves for. She wondered if she’d have better luck getting her father to accept that than she ever had with Oliver.

Thinking about Oliver got her to start wondering about the man. He’d been gone for more than six months now and she wondered if he was ever going to come back. Because in some respects, this was starting to feel a lot like after Malcolm Merlyn’s Undertaking, when Oliver had fled the city. Except this time, he wasn’t trapping himself on some deserted island, cut off from the rest of the world. Now, he was traveling all over the place and keeping somewhat in contact with them. But something about that just didn’t feel right to her, the more she thought about it.

Felicity was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her mother’s voice calling her. Blinking a couple of times, she realized that both of her parents were looking at her in varying degrees of concern.

“Sorry, I was thinking about something. You needed me?” Felicity asked.

“We were thinking about dinner,” Donna told her. “But Noah was concerned because Thea has been waiting for him.”

“She has? I told her when I called that she could just drop him off and I would make sure he got back.”

“I think she was concerned that if things went badly,” Noah said.

“That you would be stuck here with no way out,” Felicity responded with a grimace, realizing that she hadn’t considered that when she’d called.

Felicity called Thea and let her know their plans. She invited the younger woman to join them, but she begged off. Thea felt that it was more important that they spend this time as a family and didn’t want to get in the way of that. She did tell the blonde IT genius to call her when Noah was ready to leave and she’d come back and get him. So, it was just the three of them that went to Big Belly for a fun family dinner.

December 8, 2015

Starling City

Sara smiled behind her veil as she raced across the rooftops of the Glades. She had decided to go out tonight as Ta-er al-Sahfer and hunt some of the criminals of the city. She hadn’t been out since they had stopped ARGUS and Amanda Waller and judging by what she was seeing, she was wondering if team Arrow had been out either. Or, it might just be that the team was no longer enough of a deterrent for the criminals of the city. Because what she was seeing was a target rich environment. As such, she was going to take her time and see if she could find the higher tier players, not the corner dealers and the runners, but those above them.

Right now, she was following a man who looked to be in his twenties. She’d watched him hand over a backpack to one of the corner dealers and take a large wad of cash off him. She suspected that he was the next step up the chain, so she was tracking him in hopes that he would lead her to a bigger fish. When she saw him duck into an abandoned building, she took her bow and fired a grapnel arrow across the street. Once on the roof of the building, she found the access way and went inside. Slinging her bow, she took her batons and carefully worked her way down the staircase.

She was about halfway down when she heard the sound of a body fall, along with a grunt. Sara decided to make the most of the noise and picked up her pace, while trying to determine where the sounds were coming from. As she hit the landing on the second floor, she looked down the hall and saw two men on the floor. Taking a chance, she moved in that direction just as another body was tossed out the doorway of a room up ahead. She noticed that it was the person she’d been chasing and began to wonder what was going on.

A figure stepped out of the room and stopped Sara dead in her tracks. The man was wearing the Arrow costume that Oliver had when she was working with him. She focused on the details, trying to see if there was anything that said this was a copy. But no, everything she saw was exactly as she remembered it. The only difference that she could see was the man in the suit. He wasn’t as tall as Oliver, nor as muscular. He was also wearing a mask, she noticed as he turned to face her, rather than the grease paint that Oliver had used.

“Who are you?” the man asked as he knocked an arrow and aimed it at her.

“I could ask you the same thing, Fake Arrow,” Sara replied, her batons held low but still ready. The voice sounded familiar, the man not using a voice modulator.

“Look, I’ll ask you one more time. Who are you?”

That voice, Sara thought with a smile. “You already know who I am, Roy,” Sara said softly as she took a step forward. “But we’ll talk about all that later. Did you get anything out of these guys?”

“I got enough,” Roy said, watching her carefully. He felt like he should know her, but it wasn’t clicking for him. The outfit told him she was a member of Nyssa’s group, that League. Maybe they had met during the battle against Slade or something.

“Good, then we can call this in and good. I have a feeling you’re going to have a lot of questions and this might take a while.”

With that, Sara talked back down the hall and then up the stairs. Roy took a moment to make a phone call to the SCPD, then followed after her. She waited on the roof for him, then led the way across the rooftops until they reached the roof of her safe house. He kept his head on a swivel, just in case this was some form of trap. The last couple of weeks hadn’t been the best and he worried that the trend would continue. When they reached what seemed to be their destination, his alertness went up a notch. The assassin went first, leading the way through a hatch on the roof down a ladder into a garage. He noticed that there was a training area off to one side before following her up the stairs into what looked like an apartment.

Sara took a seat in a chair and watched Roy look around. A part of her wished she’d let Sin come with her, at least this far. The problem with that would have been getting her to stay here, instead of trying to do some extra training or go out on her own. So, she’d waited until the younger woman went asleep before venturing out. If she had woken up and caught her, Sara would have just said she was going for a ride or some such.

“Alright, so tell me. Who are you?” Roy asked her.

“Once you know, your life will never be the same,” Sara said, smiling as she remembered telling Oliver something similar when he’d asked the same question.

“I’ll handle it.”

With that, Sara got up and faced Roy. Reaching up, she undid her veil and let it fall to the side, then pushed back her hood. She caught the moment that recognition hit the young man. He took a step back as he processed what he was seeing. He shook his head, then closed his eyes and looked away. A moment later, he looked back at her and just stared.

“How is this possible?” Roy asked. “I mean, I saw you. You were dead and we buried you. So, how are you standing here?”

“Oliver and Nyssa brought me back is the simple answer,” Sara told him. “I can go into the details if you want.”

“Oliver? Where is he?”

“He’s away. I’ve got a phone number we can call him on and you can talk to him. But, what are you doing back in Starling? Because, I was told that they faked your death and got you out of the city after you confessed to being the Arrow.”

“Yeah. I went to Monument Point, got work in a garage. Kept a low profile. It wasn’t great, but it was definitely better than prison would have been. Then, about three weeks ago, some guy started asking around about me. First, it was at the garage, then the neighborhood corner store. I don’t know how he knew, but he wasn’t calling me by the name Felicity had set up for me. He said he was looking for Roy Harper. When the garage owner started asking about it, I decided to get out of town. I headed here to talk with the team, but the lair is trashed, there’s no sign of Oliver anywhere and I can’t exactly show my face on the street, so I can’t go to either Felicity or Thea. I figured I’d stick to the Glades while I figured something out,” Roy said.

“And going out as the Arrow is what? Your way to announcing you’re back?” Sara asked.

“No, it’s my way of trying to make things a little better for the people here. Nobody else seems to be. I haven’t seen the team at all, which considering Oliver is ‘away’ doesn’t really surprise me. I mean, with me being gone and now Oliver, who’s left? Dig, Felicity and Laurel?”

“And Thea, too. She’s been going out there, too. But, yeah, they’re not as good at it as Oliver, Felicity and Dig were. That’s history, though, and maybe they’ll get better in time.”

“The city doesn’t have time for them to get better, Sara,” Roy said. “Because, while they’re getting better, the criminals are getting organized, stronger, smarter.”

Sara couldn’t argue with that. It was why the League usually went with a scorched earth attitude. Just taking out the head of an organization was like cutting the exposed part of a weed. As long as the roots were there, it would grow back. However, if you dug deep and removed the weed, roots and all, it never was going to return. And if you did it right, you might just scare others off, lest they suffer a similar fate.

“Where are you staying? And where did you get a costume?” Sara asked.

“I’ve set up in the old lair. Looked like nobody had been there in a while, so I thought it would due for now. As for the costume, let’s just say that it was easier than I thought to break into the police evidence warehouse and take a few things. The costume, a bow and a couple of quivers full of arrows. Figured that would be enough to get me started.”

“Not bad, short term. But once the police get wind that the Arrow is back, that will be on their list of places to check. Go back there tonight and gather your stuff, then bring it here. I’ll stop back around noon and we’ll call Ollie, let him know what’s going on. Between us, we’ll get things figured out.”

“Thanks, Sara,” Roy said.

“No need to thank me. I know you’d do the same for me,” Sara said as she gathered her clothes and walked into the bathroom to change.

When Sara came out, she found that Roy was gone. She wasn’t surprised, given the hour. She knew he would want to get back to Verdant and gather this things, so he could get back here before daylight. The darkness and night were his allies now, keeping him hidden from the rest of the city. Putting her uniform away, she went downstairs to the garage and got on her motorcycle. A moment later and she was on her way home. The coming day promised to be interesting, she thought as she drove, a smile on her face.


	16. Friends Will Be Friends

December 9, 2015

Starling City

Roy woke up to sunlight on his face. Groaning, he started to roll over when he realized that something was off. There shouldn’t be sunlight, should there? Opening his eyes, he took a look around. This definitely wasn’t the office at Verdant, which is where he’d been sleeping since he arrived in town. When he’d found it deserted, it had made sense to him to just stay there rather than find an abandoned building somewhere. Verdant was clean and safe, at least after he’d done some cleanup upstairs. The leather couch was good enough for him and the building still had running water and heat.

What it didn’t have, at least in the office, was windows that looked outside and let the sun shine in. Getting up, he padded out of the bedroom and found himself in a somewhat run down apartment. It took a moment, but then he remembered what had happened last night. Running into the mystery assassin and coming back here with her, only to find out it was Sara. He still couldn’t believe that, even after talking with her. Going back into the bedroom, he opened his bag and took out some clothes, then opened the closet, thinking he could store the rest there. Seeing the Canary costume hanging there brought a smile to his face, as well as confirming that this was real. Seeing a couple of hangers, he used them to hang up the Arrow costume.

After a quick shower, Roy toweled dry and then got dressed in jeans and a red hoodie. He went into the kitchen area and found some cans of food. Finding some beef stew, he fixed that and some rice. Once he was finished with that, he did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, just to have something to do. He’d ditched his phone when he’d left Monument Point and he hadn’t wanted to take a chance purchasing a new one. He still didn’t know how that guy had found him, so he was going to stay as off the grid as he could.

When he was done cleaning, he went downstairs to the garage. He hadn’t been able to get much of a look last night, either time that he passed through it. Now, in the daylight, he was able to check things out and he really liked what he saw. In some ways, it was like being back in the old Arrow lair. There were mats for sparing off to one side, as well as a Wing Chun dummy. Against a wall was a rack of weapons, from boes and Escrima sticks to swords and archery sets. Looking at a bow, he remembered Sara once aiming an arrow at him when he’d been under the influence of the Mirakuru, so it didn’t surprise him that much that she would have these here. Plus, she was a member of the League and he’d seen what they could do with a bow and arrow.

The other thing that came to him as he looked at the bow was how much he’d missed them. Oliver, Thea and the team had been the closest thing to family he’d had in years. And even though he’d done it for the best of reasons, having to leave Starling and them behind had been almost unbearably hard. Making it even harder was the need to keep as low a profile as he could. So, he didn’t go out with the guys after work, he didn’t date. Just get up, go to work and then back home, rinse and repeat. It had been sort of normal, but so boring at the same time.

The sound of a motorcycle engine broke through his thoughts. He looked over and saw one of the garage doors was now open and a Kawasaki Ninja was rolling inside. He started to walk over when he realized that there were two people on the bike, making him step back. When the pair got off, the one that had been in back ripped off her helmet and rushed him. Roy wasn’t prepared for the punch that came when he saw that it was Sin.

“Ouch. Damn that hurt, Sin,” Roy said, rubbing his jaw.

“Serves you right, Abercrombie! You let yourself get arrested, then I hear that you died and now you’re standing here like everything is normal,” Sin told him.

“I had to do it, Sin. Oliver was just going to serve himself up on a silver platter to the police. Me, I was a nobody from the Glades who should have ended up in prison or dead long ago. Oliver, he’d saved us, the least I could do was save him.”

“You’re a special kind of stupid, aren’t you? You had Thea and you gave that up to bail out her brother, who I’ll bet didn’t even ask for your help? Only you, Abercrombie.”

Sara stood by her motorcycle, letting the two have a moment. She hadn’t told her friend about Roy when they’d left their apartment, just to see the surprise. She’d been surprised as well, thinking Sin would have gone with a hug in greeting, not a particularly good right cross. Now, though, the pair were hugging, which brought a smile to her face. As she watched, she reached into her jacket pocket and took out her cell phone.

“Roy,” Sara called as she waved the cell phone.

When she had his attention, she pointed upstairs. Sin and Roy followed her up into the apartment. Sara took one of the chairs, while Roy and Sin sat down on the couch. Sara selected the correct speed dial and called, putting the phone on speaker.

“Hello, Beloved,” Nyssa said when she answered the phone.

“Hi, Nyssa. Where’s Oliver?” Sara asked.

“He’s taking a shower.”

“Go get him. It’ll give you an excuse to see your hot, naked husband dripping with water.”

“You do know you’ll pay for that the next time I see you, right?” Nyssa threatened.

“Oh, sorry. Thought you newlyweds were still in the ‘Can’t keep our hands to our selves’ phase,” Sara replied with a laugh, drawing one from Sin and a grunt from Roy.

“Who else is there with you, Beloved?”

“Sin and someone Oliver is really going to want to talk to. So, please go get him.”

“No need, thank you. He just came back,” Nyssa said as she pulled the phone away, obviously handing it to Oliver.

“Hi, Sara. How are you doing?” Oliver asked as he took the phone.

“I’m doing really good. I’ve been training Sin, like we talked about, and I’ve started going out on patrol by myself,” Sara told him.

“As the Canary or…”

“As Ta-er al-Sahfer. Let’s just say that your former team and I had something of a difference of opinions, so I decided to let them do their thing and I’ll do mine.”

“Let me guess. John said something about how much more aggressive you are? That the team doesn’t do things like that?” Oliver asked, rather rhetorically, Sara thought.

“Basically,” Sara said. “So, I went out in my League uniform, rather than as the Canary, so that anything I do doesn’t reflect back on them,” Sara said. “And while I was out, I ran into someone I wasn’t expecting.”

“Hi, Oliver,” Roy said as Sara motioned for him to say something.

Oliver was glad he was sitting, as that was about the last voice he expected to hear. Roy had left town after the team faked his death. He shouldn’t be anywhere near Starling City, yet he was there. Why and why now?

“Roy. How are you?”

“I’m good, now. Had to leave Monument Point after some guy started asking around about me, rather than Jason. Figured I’d come here, talk to you guys and try to decide what I should do next. Went to the lair, only to find it totally trashed. Went looking for you at night, but didn’t see you out and couldn’t risk going to the loft.”

“Yeah, too many cameras around there, not to mention the building’s own security staff. Be the same trying to approach Felicity, too,” Oliver said.

“Exactly. So, here I am and as I was looking for you, I noticed how bad things had gotten. I decided to try and do something about it, while I worked out what to do next. Broke into SCPD’s evidence warehouse and took your old uniform, plus some other stuff. Been going out as the Arrow the last couple of nights. Last night, I ran into someone dressed like one of Nyssa’s people who seemed to know me. So, I took a chance and followed them. Imagine my surprise when she lowered her hood and mask to reveal Sara. Never been so happy to see someone in my life,” Roy told him.

“I’ll bet, Roy. Also bet you have some questions, so let me fill you in on a few things, including some things that even the team doesn’t know. The night you left Starling, Ra’s upped the ante by stabbing Thea. He then made me an offer. He would allow me to use something called the Lazarus Pit to save her life, if I acceded to his demand that I become his Heir. I accepted, while making plans of my own to defeat him. To prove my loyalty, I had to do things that pitted me against the team, including taking Lyla hostage to force the team to surrender Nyssa. Needless to say, by the end of it, when I finally defeated Ra’s, none of them were on my side.”

“One of the bargains I made was with Malcolm Merlyn. In return for his help, I was to surrender the League to him once I defeated Ra’s. Fortunately, Nyssa was able to show me the mistake I would be making if I did that, so I killed him instead. Now, I am Ra’s al Ghul and Nyssa is my wife, because her father forced us to marry and the only way out is for one of us to die. The team, however, does not know that I am Ra’s. Thea, Sin and now you are the only ones not in the League who know this,” Oliver told him.

“And Sara?”

“How is she alive? Nyssa and I used the Lazarus Pit and some help from a friend to resurrect her. We sent her back to Starling City to watch over our families, as well as have some time with hers.”

“Well, like I said, I’m glad she’s here. I really needed to see a friendly face,” Roy said after spending a couple of minutes thinking about what Oliver had told him. While he wasn't thrilled with some of it, he could understand why he'd done it. It was life on the street, you do what you have to in order to survive. His biggest objection was to Oliver allying with Malcolm Merlyn, but then he'd corrected that mistake in the best way possible. If Merlyn was truly dead, then Thea was safer and that was all Roy could ever want for her.

“And what am I, Abercrombie? Chopped liver?” Sin asked, acting indignant.

“No, but if I get in a tight spot and need someone to watch my back, I know Sara can fight. I’ve seen her kick ass. Can you do that?”

“Not yet, but we’re going to get her there, right Sin?” Sara asked with a grin.

“I’d say you’ve got two people to watch your back, Roy,” Oliver said. “And if you’re interested, I know we'd have a place for you in the League.”

“I appreciate that, Oliver. I really do. I’m just not sure...”

“Hey, I understand, Roy. Just know that the offer is there if you ever want it. And don’t think that my friendship or our assistance is tied to you joining the League. No matter what, you’re family Roy. And we take care of family.”

“I know, Oliver. I’m just thinking about Thea. She came to see me once, in Monument Point, about a month after I left. I figure Felicity told her where I was. And as much as I love her, I knew that a life on the run wouldn’t be what you or I would want for her. So, I left. Found a new place to live and a new job, all the while wishing things could be different, that we could have a normal life. No more Arrow or vigilante work, no more getting into trouble. It would be boring, but safe. And I would do that for her. That life isn’t meant to be right now and maybe not ever, but I have to hope that someday, someway, we can be together,” Roy said, looking down at his shoes.

“And you know that, as protective as I am of Thea, that there is no way I’d want her to join the League. That I would try to force you apart, like I did when you were infected by the Mirakuru,” Oliver said. “I’m sorry, Roy. Sorry that you had to give all of that up for me.”

“Don’t be, Oliver. It’s like Felicity says, ‘My life, my choice’. I made my decision with my eyes wide open and if I had to make that choice again, I’d do the exact same thing. Like I said that night, you’d saved all of us multiple times, this time, we had to save you. Besides, if it hadn’t been for you and Thea, I’d probably be in prison or dead by now. Stealing her purse was probably the best worst decision I’d ever made.”

“Yeah, maybe it was. Look, stick around Starling for a bit, while we get this sorted out. Sara and Sin will make sure you have food and such. And if you want to keep going out as the Arrow, I have no objections to that. Just keep your head on a swivel, OK?”

“Got it,” Roy told him.

“Sara, work with him. He still needs some more training, especially if he’s going to be out there essentially alone. And Roy, that wasn’t a shot at you. You’re used to working with a team. Things are a little different when you’re out there alone. Sara’s more used to that, because a lot of times, that’s how the League does things,” Oliver said.

“I’ve got absolutely no problems with Sara training me. Felicity told me about the time you and Dig went up against her and she was having no problems with the pair of you.”

“No, she wasn’t,” was all Oliver said with a laugh.

“How do you want me to handle it if I go out there with Roy?” Sara asked.

Oliver went silent at that, thinking about it. Having the Arrow back could help things, he knew. But people would likely associate him with the rest of the team and Oliver wanted to avoid tying the League too closely to them. Especially if Roy’s problems somehow followed him home from Monument Point. No, if she went out there with him, it would have to be as the Canary and the team would just have to deal with that.

“If you go out together, use the Canary costume. Also, I need you to go see Felicity. We need to figure out how they found Roy, see if that leads back to who it was that found him and why they’re looking for him. It’ll also help for when the team learns that someone’s going out as the Arrow.”

“You want them to know?” Roy asked.

“I’d rather they figure know about it than have them run into someone one night wearing my old suit. Might save you from a bullet in the back. Because, I’m not sure if Dig would or wouldn’t shoot me if he thought I was back out there,” Oliver said.

“Damn. When you said things happened, I didn’t expect it to be that bad. I figured Dig and you walked away to sort things out and the next time you saw each other, you’d work it out.”

“Maybe someday we might. But right now, he’s still mad about the decisions I made and the fact that he feels I trusted Malcolm Merlyn more than him or Felicity. Until he can come to terms with that, I don’t think we’ll be able to fix things. And that’s not even getting into the whole ‘I am Ra’s al Ghul’ problem.”

“Mister Diggle still equates the League with my father and his actions. He does not see the good that the League has done, nor would he accept that my husband is trying to change the League. Those changes will happen slowly, but they are happening,” Nyssa said.

At that, silence fell on both ends of the line. Only Sara and Nyssa knew the change that Oliver had already brought to the League, just by being who he was. Nyssa’s father, for all his years and wisdom, had often been blinded by the blood lust he himself was suffering from his use of the Lazarus Pit. Once he became fixed on an idea, he expected instant obedience to his command and refused to listen to advice to the contrary. Oliver, on the other hand, listened, even if he might not always take the advice offered. Also, Oliver was more concerned that innocent lives be spared than Nyssa’s father had been. Not that he didn’t care abut innocents, just that they were less of a concern than the League accomplishing their goal. Or, when cleansing a city, they were of no concern at all.

“Well, I’m going to get to work with Sin, so we’ll call you later,” Sara said, knowing that she was supposed to be training Sin. Now, she’d have to train them both as well as find time today to go and see Felicity. All told, it was going to be a busy afternoon.

“Good. And Roy, make sure you call if you need anything, understood?” Oliver stated.

“I will, Oliver. Thank you,” Roy replied before Sara hung up the call.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of this, Roy. You’re going to be training with us, too. Remember?”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Yeah, you say that now, Abercrombie. Just wait until she puts you on your ass for the tenth time and we’ll see if you’re not singing a different tune,” Sin told him with a grin.

Sin and Sara went and got changed, then the three of them went downstairs to the garage and over to the mats. Sara decided to start with Sin, as she needed the most training. They went back over the strikes and blocks that she had already learned, making sure that she had those down first. After that, it was combinations of the strikes as well as working on footwork. Roy leaned against a post and just watched, somewhat surprised at how well his friend was doing. He wondered how long she’d been training with Sara.

When Sin started to tire, Sara switched to working with Roy. Oliver had trained him in archery predominantly, but also mixed in as hand-to-hand. Sara decided to teach him Jeet Kune Do was well, feeling that it would work well with what he already knew. Because he had some experience, he was able to pick things up faster than Sin had been. He was also in better shape than she was, so it took him longer to tire. By the time he did, Sara was also beginning to get tired as well.

“So? Still looking forward to it?” Sin asked with an evil grin, considering Sara had knocked him to the mat over a dozen times.

“Yeah, I am. Though, I am curious about why you are training this hard,” Roy said, looking at her.

“Because I want to join the League. Nyssa and Sara want me to think it over more, though. While I do, Sara’s training me. Even if I don’t join the League, I still want to be a strong as they are.”

Roy thought about that, not exactly surprised to hear that Sin wanted to join the League. It wasn’t like there was much keeping her here in Starling City. Really, the only difference between him and her was that he had Thea, he hoped. Though, he did have to wonder if she had taken his letter to heart and decided to move on with her life. Or, if she would ask him what had changed between then and now, which would force him to admit that nothing had really changed. He was still dead in the eyes of the world and if it became known that he was actually still alive, he’d be wanted by every law enforcement agency in the country. There was no way that he wanted to drag her into that, because she deserved so much better than that.

Sara checked her phone and saw that they would have to get going if she wanted to see Felicity today. So, the three of them went upstairs and the ladies got changed back into their street clothes. After taking it over with Roy, they decided that they would bring dinner back with them tonight and then the Arrow and Canary would hit the streets following up on the drug traffickers they’d been after last night. Sin knew she wasn’t ready yet to join them, so she would figure out a way to make herself useful while they were out. Sara put his order into her phone, so that she’d have it and then they left.

December 9

Starling City

Felicity was sitting in her office, but she wasn’t getting much work done. Or, at least not work for Palmer Technologies. Instead, she was trying to figure out the mystery of Oliver Queen, which is basically the same thing she’d been doing the last couple of days. She’d started the day after her mother and father reunited. Her first move had been trying to trace his cell phone history, to see if she could get a more complete history of where his phone had been since he left Starling City back in May.

While that was processing, she’d moved on to item number two, Amanda Waller’s killing. Something about that just didn’t feel right, so she hacked into the SCPD and downloaded all of their files on the case, as well as photos of the evidence. She wanted to talk with Dig and maybe Lyla about this, see what they thought. The biggest thing that jumped out at her was the lack of physical evidence at the location that the body was recovered. There were some microscopic pieces of metal in her wounds, but very little blood or other biological evidence found there. To her, that sounded like somebody had moved the body, which is exactly what the SCPD’s report stated as well. But why would they move the body, but make no attempts to really hide it?

The other thing that she was starting to question was in regards to how convenient it was that somebody murdered Waller as soon after she started searching for Oliver and planning to use Dig and Lyla as he fall guys if she couldn’t get to him. It struck her, thinking about it now, that it was too improbable to be a coincidence. But if it was Oliver, how did he get here, get through all of he ARGUS agents she had with her and then get her body to where he dumped it. So, she broke things down and then created searches based on what she needed to look for. First, how did he get here? Assuming he’d left Starling City back in May, he had to have come back into the city in some way. So, she started on the surveillance videos from the airports and train station, running them through facial recognition software. Next, where did the actual fight where the ARGUS agents were killed and Waller was captured take place? She had to hack into ARGUS and get information on the vehicles that the agents had been assigned, so that she could then get license plate numbers and also see if they had GPS trackers installed and enabled. Finding that they were not equipped with trackers made the job harder, but not insurmountable, not for Ghost Fox Goddess. She set up another program to check the city’s traffic cameras for the license plates and then update a map with their location.

Felicity tried to turn her attention to something else, because she knew a watched search never completed. But she just couldn’t get her mind to focus, as so many random thoughts were running rampant through it. So, she was somewhat glad to see Sara walk into her outer office. She didn’t know what the blonde assassin wanted, but whatever it was would definitely distract her from what she was currently thinking about. When she came into the office, Felicity got up from her desk and came around to give her a hug.

“We haven’t seen you in a little while,” Felicity said.

“Yeah, Dig and I talked after the last time I went out with the team and he kind of made it plain that how I do things isn’t welcome on the team,” Sara told her. “And I can’t stop the part of me that sees putting down the bad guy as preferable to one of the team being put down.”

“Hey, I get that and I’m sure Dig does too. But even if you don’t go out with the team anymore, that doesn’t mean that you’re not our friend. We can get together for dinner or something, you know?”

“I know. But right now, I’m looking for a job, as well as handling some League business in the city. Not a lot of time for a social life. But that’s not why I’m here. I need your help with something.”

“Sure. What’s going on, Sara?” Felicity asked.

“So, I went out last night to take care of something and I came across someone in Oliver’s old suit,” Sara said, looking Felicity in the eye so she’d understand exactly what suit she was talking about. “Anyway, I talked to the guy and turns out it’s Roy. He said someone was looking for him, not Jason, in Monument Point. So, he came back here, but couldn’t find Oliver and couldn’t chance getting in touch with you or Thea.”

“What about the untraceable satellite phone I set up for him?”

“He said he trashed it, just in case that was somehow the way the guy had found him.”

Felicity couldn’t help wincing at that. The phone wasn’t exactly cheap, plus she hated the thought of any piece of technology being abused. Besides, when she’d told him that phone was untraceable, she’d meant it. There was absolutely no way that whoever had found him had done so from the phone.

“How can I help him?” Felicity asked.

“Can you dig in and see if you can figure out who found him, so that we can figure out the why part of it?” Sara asked.

“Certainly. I can get some searches started. I still have all of the details about the identity I crafted for Roy, so I’ll start with those. Once I get where he was living and working from that, I can look for CCTV footage, like traffic cameras, ATM machines, things like that. See if I can spot anyone who looks out of place and run their backgrounds.”

“Thanks, Felicity. I know Roy will appreciate it, he’s a little worried about this. I mean, nobody in Monument Point should have put Jason together with Roy Harper. Somehow this guy did and then found where he worked.”

Felicity nodded at that. She’d thought she’d set up the perfect cover identity for Roy. Maybe that had been the problem, maybe it had been too perfect, too bland. Roy had had a rough life and it showed in many ways. Yet, when she’d crafted Jason, she hadn’t made his life as rough as Roy’s had been. She’d been looking at it from the standpoint of him flying under the radar. Maybe she should have added some rough patches to it, things that would have made Jason a bit more like Roy. Giving her head a mental shake, she refocused.

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll also get you another phone for him. Just tell him not to destroy it this time, please,” Felicity said. “If he does, he gets the Loud Voice.”

“I’ll tell him you said that, Felicity,” Sara said with a grin. “Can you make sure the team knows that Roy’s back in town and going out as the Arrow?”

“Sure, leave that to me. Thea’s going to be over the moon, I’m sure, so don’t be too surprised if you run into Speedy while you’re out there.”

“I’ll warn Roy to wear some extra padding.”

The two women looked at each other and laughed. Felicity wished there was some way to convince Dig or Laurel to wear some sort of body camera, just so she could watch Thea’s reaction when she found Roy. Because she figured it could go either way. Thea might squeal with joy and jump into his arms or she might try to take one of her arrows and shove it up Roy’s ass for pushing her away only to come running back to Starling the first time he had a problem. OK, so the second was a little over the top, she thought, but only a little.

The pair talked a little more before Sara left. She wanted to grab some coffee on her way back to the apartment, but knew she needed a nap more. She’d get the coffee on the way to the safe house tonight, along with the promised Big Belly Burger. When she got outside of Palmer Technologies, she found Sin at the motorcycle waiting. Going over, she climbed on and waited for Sin to get on behind her. Once she was settled, they took off for the apartment. Meanwhile, Felicity was working on getting the various programs and searches crafted to look into how Roy had been found. Once that was done, all she could do was sit back and wait while trying to work on the work for her day job.


	17. Target Practice

December 9, 2015

Starling City

Felicity sat in the lair waiting for the others to arrive. Her computers were online and still processing the searches that she has running. The ones on Roy had established his apartment and former job in Monument Point, which she’d then used to figure out the locations of possible cameras she could access for surveillance footage. Now, her programs were running to get access to those camera and whatever footage remained for the past month. She went that far back, because she didn’t know when Roy had discovered that someone was asking about him. She also couldn’t be sure that whoever it was hadn’t done some watching and checking before going that route.

The ones on Oliver were still running. She’d made sure to check both before she’d left her office and went out for a quick supper as well as when she’d first settled into her station in the lair. Felicity saw that the deep dive into Oliver’s cell phone’s location was producing results, quite a bunch. The programs were producing both a list of the results as well as a map, with the date and time available once you hovered the mouse over the red dot. Once that program was done, she’d start additional searches for things like clearing customs and airport security video.

Felicity was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t hear Dig enter the lair. If fact, she didn’t become aware of him until he put a hand on her shoulder. She would have catapulted out of the chair if not for that hand.

“Easy, Felicity. It’s just me,” Dig told her.

“Frack, Dig. Don’t do that,” Felicity said, trying to calm her racing heart.

“What are you working on that has you so absorbed that you didn’t hear me call you twice?”

“A couple of things, actually. Sara came to see me today. She said she was out doing something, for the League if I had to guess. Anyway, she ran into someone wearing Oliver’s old Arrow costume.”

“You mean the one that the police took off of Roy? The one that should be in SCPD’s evidence storage?” Dig asked, surprised by this.

“Yep, that one. She confronted the person wearing it only to find out it was Roy,” Felicity told him. “Somehow, somebody came looking for Roy Harper in Monument Point. And that shouldn’t be possible, I did a good job on the background I created for him, even if it was sort of a rush job. I mean, there is no way that somebody should have been able to crack that, not in only six months. So, I’m running various searches to see if I can figure out what happened and who did it.”

“So, who’s going to tell Thea?”

“Tell me what?” Thea asked from the entrance to the lair, having just barely heard that last sentence as she came down the stairs. She definitely caught the look that Dig and Felicity shared.

“That Roy is back in Starling,” Dig said, watching her. “Sara ran into him last night and told Felicity about it. He left Monument Point after someone came around asking about Roy Harper. He came back here looking for help, I would guess.”

“How long has he been back?”

“I don’t know. Certainly long enough to figure out that Oliver is gone, because when Sara ran into him, Roy was wearing a full Arrow costume.”

Thea was worried and upset. The worry was about how someone had found Roy, why they were even looking for him in the first place and what did that mean. As well, she was concerned about him going out there all alone as the Arrow. She knew that Oliver had done it when he’d first returned, but that didn’t make it any less dangerous. She was upset because he hadn’t reached out to her or any of the team, if she was understanding this. Instead, he’d just happened to run into Sara and then had her let Felicity know that he was back. Typical, she thought, steaming.

On the other side of that was how much she missed him. Missed the way that he could find the one thing to say that would make her feel better. The feel of his arms around her while they relaxed on the couch watching movies. The fact that despite the lies that he’d told her, the things that he’d kept from her, he’d never misled her about the way he felt about her.

“Are you going to be alright, Thea?” Felicity asked her.

“I’ll have to be, won’t I? The criminals in this city aren’t going to wait while I have myself a good cry or something,” Thea told her, trying to keep her voice level.

“Well, why don’t you go and get changed. We’re still waiting on Laurel to get here and for it to get a little darker before we go out, so take all the time you need,” Dig said, watching as she went over to where her uniform was hanging. Once she’d pulled it down, she headed off to get changed. When she was gone, he turned back to Felicity.

“You said you were working on a couple of things. Roy’s situation is one, what is the other or others?”

“Something that’s been nagging me for a while. It really came into focus a couple of days ago when my mom reunited with my dad. I was thinking about how what he’d gone through was kinda similar to what Oliver had. From that, I started thinking about when Oliver left after the Undertaking. Where did he go then?” Felicity asked

“To Lian Yu,” Dig said, looking at her with a slightly puzzled look on his face.

“OK, so the last time he needed to get away from the city and everything that had happened, he goes to the most deserted place you can think of. But two years later, he needs to escape and he does what? Go on some kind of globetrotting adventure?”

“Maybe he did that because he figured the first place we’d look would be Lian Yu. Not to mention, Slade Wilson is imprisoned there as well. After everything that happened, I doubt Oliver would want to be on the same island as him.”

“I agree, as far as it goes. I just think that Oliver would find someplace remote and stay there for a while. This,” Felicity said, pointing to the screen where the map of all the places Oliver’s phone had been was displayed, “doesn’t make sense. I mean, he’s all over the place and rarely in the same place for more than a couple of days.”

Dig looked at the map, his brow furrowing. Seeing this, the way Oliver moved from place to place, he started to share Felicity’s concerns. The pattern of movement didn’t make any sense and was definitely not how most people would have laid out their travel. The question was, what did it mean? Because to him, this looked like one of two things and neither of them were exactly good. Either Oliver was running from something or Oliver was the one doing the hunting. But if Oliver was running from something, why wouldn’t he ask them for help? And if he was the one doing the chasing, why?

“OK. For now, I think we keep this between just the two of us. At least until we have more to show that just this map and guesses about what it all means. Because Oliver sounded fine when we’ve talked to him on the phone, or anything that would raise any red flags. So, keep digging and we’ll see what it tells us and go from there,” Dig said.

Felicity looked like she wanted to say more, but they both saw Thea coming back. So, for now, their discussion had to be tabled. Dig decided to get ready himself while they waited for Laurel to arrive. Laurel finally came in as Dig was changing. Felicity brought the older Lance sister up to date regarding Roy, which meant that the entire team was now aware that he was back in town. She was also looking for criminal activity significant enough to send the team after. Otherwise, they would just go out and patrol the city. Thea, who was looking over Felicity’s shoulder, hoped that they would just go on patrol, as that would increase the likelihood of them running into Roy.

Laurel went and quickly got changed. When she came back, Dig had decided that it still wasn’t dark enough to go out. They spent the next hour training and sparring, the two women against Dig. Then it was Dig and one of them against the other. Knowing that they would be hitting the streets soon, they didn’t go full out. They only did that on nights that they wouldn’t patrol.

“Guys, the police are tracking a very large drug shipment,” Felicity called out, her voice bringing training to an end.

“Where at, Felicity?” Dig asked.

“Looks like it’s going to be the docks, which one is the question. I’m looking to see if there’s a specific pier mentioned.”

“Alright, let’s get out there and see if we can find this.”

“Dig, the police will have this covered. Do we really want to make it a three way battle, especially considering what happened at Kord Industries,” Laurel said.

“And what if they don’t? Do you want to risk all of those drugs getting into the city, not to mention all of the money that the criminals in this city will make off those drugs? That money will enable them to buy protection from police officers who aren’t like your father, buy bigger guns so that they can take on those officers who do stand up against them. Next thing you know, we have another situation like The Mayor or Brickwell,” Dig responded.

Laurel nodded at that. They most definitely didn’t need another Brickwell-type, bent on taking a part of the city for themselves. If Oliver hadn’t shown up as the Arrow, they would have lost that fight. And in losing, they likely would have ended up getting a lot of innocent people killed. As it was, Ted Grant had been killed, as had others. They couldn’t let something like that happen again. They couldn’t be put into a situation where something like that was necessary. So, Dig was right. They had to make sure this drug shipment didn’t get into the city.

“Let’s go.”

December 9, 2015

Starling City

Roy and Sara were at the docks. This was the information that Roy had gotten from the drug dealer he’d confronted last night. The shipment was supposed to be massive, big enough that several of the city's gangs had been willing to put aside long standing issues to work together on it. What worried Roy was what would happen afterwards. Once the gangs had split the shipment and returned to their respective parts of the Glades, now with a lot of drugs to sell. With that kind of power, they’d be able to either push the smaller gangs out or take them over.

Looking out at where the gangs were all gathering, Sara frowned. That was a lot of firepower, making her wonder. How much did these groups really trust one another? A few of them keep looking inward, instead of outwards, as if they expected the threat to come from there. She was thinking about how they might be able to use that when Roy nudged her. Looking to where he was pointing, she smiled. Laurel and Thea were just visible on the rooftop two buildings over.

The sound of three semis pulling up got everyone’s attention, as did the four SUVs that accompanied them. The trucks parked in such a way that their trailer doors were facing the group of gang members. But what got Sara’s attention were the men who got out of the SUVs. She could see well enough to make out the tattoos that were visible and alarm bells started ringing. Glancing over to the other building, she saw that Laurel and Thea were getting ready to strike. Swiftly, she pulled Roy’s bow from his hands and grabbed an arrow. Taking careful aim, she fired it, just missing her sister.

“What the hell, Sara,” Roy asked, though he took care to keep his voice low.

“Those men are Bratva, Roy,” Sara said, as she caught her sister’s wide eyes and waved her back. “This doesn’t feel right, OK? The Bratva is trying to take over crime in this city, yet is going to sell drugs to three of the biggest gangs in the city? Drugs that will finance those groups for months to come?”

“So, if it’s not a drug deal, then what is it?”

“An execution,” was all she could say as the trailer doors opened, revealing not the promised drug shipment, but rather three M-134 Miniguns. As soon as the doors cleared, the men manning the weapons opened fire. The rest was a foregone conclusion, as the gang members were virtually cut in half by the streams of bullets. After a minute, the guns stopped and the men from the SUVs advanced, looking for survivors. The few that were found were ruthlessly dispatched while the trucks pulled away. Once this was done, the Bratva soldiers got back into their SUVs and followed them.

Sara and Roy stood up as they Bratva men left, looking down at the scene below. Roy was stunned, as nothing that he had ever seen had prepared him for this. This was like something out of an action movie or something. Yet, looking at the bodies down below, he knew it was all too real. It was also a major game changer. Bows and arrows seemed useless against that kind of firepower. The sound of footsteps behind them got the pair to turn. Unfortunately for Roy, his turn took him right into the fist of Thea, which caught him flush on the jaw.

“Son of a bitch,” Roy muttered, as that was the second time today he’d taken a fist to the jaw. Thea followed that punch up with one to the belt line, which doubled him over.

“You fucking bastard,” Thea yelled at him. “You left me in bed, no note, no nothing. I had to go to your job to find out that you were leaving. Couldn’t you at least have had the courage to tell me to my face?”

“I deserved that.”

“You fucking better believe you deserved that.”

Seeing her prepare to deliver another punch, Roy took her and wrapped her in a hug. Thea struggled for a good minute or more, but he just held on. When she stopped, he loosened the hug and raised his hands to her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks.

“I couldn’t face you, because I knew if I did, you’d be able to talk me out of leaving. And this life, it isn’t what I want for you. It isn’t the life you deserve. I mean, I made it all of six months before someone was on to me and I’m back on the run again. Even if I can come up with a new identity, that’s what my life is now, a life on the run,” Roy told her. “And I love you too much to put you through that.”

“And you didn’t think that I deserved to have a say in this?” Thea asked hotly. “That maybe I was willing to take that, if the alternative was to not have you at all. Damn it, Roy Harper, I love you.”

With that, she pulled him in for a kiss. It was deep, full of passion and probably would have lasted much longer than it did if not for Sara mischievously clearing her throat. Roy and Thea turned to glare at her, only to find that both Lance sisters were grinning at them. It was only then that the sound of police sirens seemed to reach their ears. Incredibly close sirens at that, which was clearly why they needed to come back to their senses and go.

Roy and Thea looked at each other and then both fired lines off into the distance. Sara and Laurel followed along behind them, as they moved from rooftop to rooftop. Once they were away from the scene, Roy stopped and waited for the others to join him.

“Where to, Sara?” Roy asked.

“Verdant is probably the best place. That way you don’t have to go downtown and we don’t have to expose a League safe house,” Sara said.

“And you think having us there would expose it?” Laurel asked her sister.

“I’m not necessarily saying that. But the way that Dig and Felicity seem to feel about the League makes me wonder if the day might come where we’re on opposing sides. So, I’d rather keep this a secret.”

“And because the League was after us last year, I’d argue that some mistrust is bound to be left over, Sara. I mean, you weren’t here. They tried to frame Oliver for murder, which is why Roy is now on the run. When that failed, they nearly killed Thea. And when Oliver gave in and went into the League, he was tasked to bring Nyssa in. He did that by kidnapping Lyla and leaving your namesake all alone in an apartment. Plus, there's the whole bio-weapon attack that could have killed thousands.”

“You seem to forget that it wasn’t the League that did all that. They acted at the direction of one man, Nyssa’s father. And he was killed by Oliver, in order to save this city,” Sara said. “But you’re right, I wasn’t here. I was dead and I still would be dead if it wasn’t for Nyssa and the new Ra’s al Ghul, but I guess that doesn’t count.”

“That’s not what I’m saying and you know it, Sara. Too much happened for all of us to easily accept that the League is now our friends. It’s just the way it is,” Laurel said.

“On second thought, Roy, I’ll see you back at the safe house.”

With that, Sara turned and ran to the edge of the roof. Jumping to the next building, she raced as fast as she could across the rooftops. She didn’t stop running until she reached the safe house. Going inside, she didn’t see Sin in the living room or kitchen, so she went to the bedroom and undressed. She then went to the shower and stepped inside, turning the water on and getting it hot. She just stood there and let the water pelt down on her, letting her tears flow. Because listening to her sister had made her feel like they were now on opposite sides of the fence.

When she’d come back to Starling, she’d been so happy that Oliver was giving this to her. Now, though, it felt like the worst decision she’d ever made. She wondered if things wouldn’t have been better off if she’d just let them believe that she was still dead. The people who loved her best were Oliver and Nyssa and they would have still been there. She would have still had them and her family could have gone on mourning her. Instead, she’d come home and while that initial homecoming was everything that she could have hoped for, the rest wasn’t. Her father was busy with his work, as was Laurel and they’d barely seen each other since that first night back.

Feeling the water go cold, Sara turned it off and stepped out of the shower. Taking a towel, she quickly dried off before going into the bedroom. Putting on a clean pair of underwear, she looked at the bed for a moment and decided that she was just too tired to go home tonight. So, she climbed under the covers and curled up on her side before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

December 10, 2015

Nanda Parbat

Oliver was feeling good today. His shoulder felt like it was well healed and he had managed to get caught up on League business. The later was largely helped by having Nyssa back, he would be the first to admit. Her wise insights into many of the issues enabled him to find a solution quickly. It also helped to have someone to bounce ideas off of, especially when making plans. So, it was that after his morning training and breakfast that both he and Nyssa had the rest of the morning free. This, in turn, had lead them to go to the large training room that was set aside for archery training.

Oliver wasn’t the least bit surprised to find Artemis there, for this room seemed like her personal domain. When they walked in, she was shooting at targets at the very far end of the room. They both stayed back while she finished off her quiver, seeing her sister Jade sitting on the floor next to a rack of bows and quivers.

“Your skills continue to impress,” Nyssa said.

“Only because I continuously practice them, Nyssa,” Artemis replied.

“Perhaps you have time for some friendly competition against my husband.”

“It would be my honor, Ra’s. What do you propose?”

“Those disks of yours were fun. How about we use those again? I noticed that you had different colors, so we could do one color exclusively yours and the other mine. Closest to the middle the most number of times, say twenty-three to eliminate chance as much as we can,” Oliver said after thinking about it for a moment.

“That sounds interesting and fun. You’re on,” Artemis told him before walking away with her sister to gather up the required disks. It took them a little while to sort through and separate out enough of the disks, but they returned with forty-six disks in two stacks. One stack was bright yellow and the other was a lime green color. In order to pick who would go first, they had Nyssa put both of her hands behind her back and extend a number of fingers. Oliver and Artemis each would pick a number and the closest to the actual number had the right to choose. Oliver picked eight, while Artemis went with four. Nyssa actually grimaced when she pulled her hands from behind her back, showing all of the fingers on one hand extended and the other a closed fist.

“It’s your choice,” Nyssa said to Artemis.

“Ra’s may go first.”

Oliver stepped over to the rack and found a quiver of arrows. Setting it on his back and adjusting the straps, he walked to the firing line once he was ready. Jade was once again pressed into service to toss the disks. She waited for him to be fully ready and then nod before she threw the first disk into the air. Oliver reacted swiftly, drawing, knocking and firing before the disk reached its apex. The torn disk fluttered to the ground, while the arrow impacted the wall beyond. Nyssa ran out and gathered up the disk, bringing it back to the others with a smile on her face. The arrow had torn a hole in the disk about half an inch from the center.

Artemis nodded at that, then stepped to the line for her turn. When the disk was launched, she was just as quick off the mark. This time it was a red disk that fell to the floor with a hole in it, never reaching the midpoint of its flight. When Nyssa brought this one back, there was a collective whistle from the three of them before Nyssa ran from the room. To the naked eye, it was identical to Oliver’s shot. Nyssa had gone to fetch a set of calipers so that they could more accurately judge the distance from the small nub at the center of the disks.

When Nyssa returned with the instrument, she checked each of the disk and then had Jade check them as well. Artemis and Oliver both exchanged a look, thinking roughly the same thing. This was going to be a long day if they had to do this every time.

“This round goes to Artemis,” Nyssa declared. “By two millimeters.”

“Wow, that’s close,” Artemis said, as Oliver chuckled softly before stepping back up to the line.

And so it went for the next twenty-one sets of disks. Oliver would shoot first, followed by Artemis. Once the disks were gathered, their “Judges” would inspect them and then be forced to measure. The winners disks went into a stack, while the losing disk was disposed of into a large garbage can. Things like plastic were rare in Nanda Parbat and as they had no facilities to handle such waste, it would be separated out later and then taken on a supply flight to a large city to be disposed of. Or perhaps, Oliver thought as he looked at the damaged disks, they could be repaired and used again.

Approaching the line for the last disk, he knew it did not matter. Artemis was already ahead by two disks. All he was shooting for now was his own pride and the knowledge that he had given it his best effort. He could have cursed Nyssa for thinking of the calibers, which had reduced this contest down to one of fractions of an inch. He could have cursed his shoulder which had started to ache about ten arrows before. But, those would have just been excuses and he wouldn’t denigrate Artemis’ performance by doing something so petty. If he had had to lose such a contest, he could at least take satisfaction in the fact that if was against a truly worthy opponent.

Both of them took the same care with their last shots as they had with their first. Neither was prepared to just give this point away, which earned Artemis an additional measure of respect from Oliver. She had this won, she could have just fired off a useless last arrow and it wouldn’t have changed that. But, she was going to still make him work for that point. Once the shots were done and judged, Oliver ended up losing 12 to 11, his last shot being only 1 millimeter better.

“Well done, Artemis,” Oliver told her as he removed his quiver and shook ha nds with the woman. “That was everything I had hoped for in a contest against you, except perhaps the result.”

“I agree, my lord,” Artemis replied. “Though I am pleased with the result, it still could have gone either way with how close some of those were.”

“Agreed. I think before I try this again, I will have to make sure those calibers are hidden or lost.”

“No, you will not, husband,” Nyssa told him sternly. “In a contest such as this, it is only right that it be judged as accurately as possible.”

“I agree, Nyssa, even if those likely cost me the match,” Oliver said with a smile. “But, perhaps it is better this way. Soon the whole League will know that Artemis has bested Ra’s al Ghul in an archery contest, which will make the others listen more closely when she is instructing them in the art. Don’t you agree, Navid?”

“Yes, my lord,” came a response from the rafters as an assassin dropped down to the floor and bowed before Ra’s. Nyssa was impressed that Oliver had noticed the man, as focused as he had been on the contest. For herself, she’d heard him come in around the third set of disks. There were a pair of additional League members up there as well, but she ignored them for the present. She judged that they had likely come in after Navid, as whispers of the contest had started to flow through the fortress. She knew, without Oliver uttering a single word, without Artemis needing to boast or brag, that this would spread quickly through the League. And with each telling of the tale, Artemis’ feat would grow all the greater. Looking towards the rafters, she noticed that all had left. Navid was the only one left and likely had remained only because Oliver had singled him out.

“Return to your tasks, Navid.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Well done, Artemis,” Oliver said to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. “May your students be blessed with your wisdom, that they might become archers in your image.”

“You do me a great honor, my lord,” Artemis said as she knelt.

“No greater than the honor you and your sister do to the League. Now, we will take our leave, so that you might enjoy your time together.”

With that, Oliver and Nyssa left the room. As they walked, Oliver rolled his shoulder, trying to ease the ache that he was feeling. He’d thought this morning that he was fine, but after that, he knew that he still needed to heal some more. He ignored the whisper that told him the Lazarus Pit could take care of that, that he didn’t need to wait. No, he had no intention of using the Pit for this. Besides, he’d fought through worse pain that this and would again in the future.


	18. Getting Closer

December 10, 2015

Starling City

When Roy woke up, it took him a moment to realize where he was. A rueful smile came to his face as he slowly turned in bed and saw Thea still sound asleep next to him. He knew he shouldn’t have done this to either of them, but right now, he didn’t really care. This was what he’d dreamed about, when he allowed himself to dream about the future. He and Thea together, happy.

Taking care not to wake her, he slipped out of bed and got dressed. He could see the sky was still dark, but getting lighter. He couldn’t be seen here, not only because he was supposed to be dead but also because he was dressed as the Arrow. Pausing for a moment once dressed, he looked for a pen and paper. It took some searching, but he found what he needed. Writing her a quick note, he left it on his pillow before leaving the bedroom. Taking the stairs slowly, he went thru the lower level of the loft and out onto the balcony. From there, he fired off a grapnel arrow and launched himself out into the city.

For her part, Thea had woken when she felt Roy get out of bed. She’d chosen to remain silent and pretend that she was still asleep, so that this night could end on a good note. If she’d shown she was awake, they would have talked and if they’d talked, she would have asked him to stay even knowing that he couldn’t. She didn’t want to do that to him. Now that she could no longer hear him, she rolled over and pulled the pillow he’d used to her, sighing contently as she felt its warmth and smelled the lingering scent of Roy on it. She also felt the piece of paper that Roy had left for her.

“Thea, I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. Just know that this time, I’m not running away. Somehow, we’ll figure out a way to be together, to have our future. Know that I love you, always. Roy”

Getting up, Thea slipped on a sweatshirt and a pair of yoga pants before leaving the bedroom. Stopping in the kitchen, she started the coffee maker. She then walked over to the balcony doors and stepped outside.

“I love you too, Roy,” Thea whispered to the wind, knowing that he wouldn’t hear it, but needing to say the words none the less.

Roy used a number of lines to get from Thea’s loft to the edge of the Glades. From there, he was able to run across rooftops to make his way to the safe house. By the time he reached it, day was breaking and the chances of him getting spotted increased. So, he was thankful to go through the roof access and be out of sight. Going into the apartment proper, he walked through to the bedroom he was using and went inside, stopping as he took in the bed. A smile came to his face and he really wished for a camera in that moment, because this would be perfect to send to Thea and Oliver. Sometime during the night, Sara had been joined by Sin in the bed, the smaller woman spooned up against the blonde and hugging her.

Sara opened her eye at that moment, meaning his chance was absolutely gone. So, he settled for a grin before gathering some clothes and heading for the bathroom. The sound of the shower coming on woke Sin up as well. Sin gave her best friend a squeeze before letting go and rolling out of bed.

“Did he just get in?” Sin asked as came around the side of the bed.

“I think so, so hopefully things with Thea went well. Or that she didn’t hurt him so badly it took him this long to make it back here,” Sara said with a laugh, drawing one from Sin as well.

“I’ll go get started on breakfast.”

“Thanks, Sin. Make sure you make a lot, because I’ll bet Roy’s hungry.”

Sin laughed again as she left the room, humming what definitely sounded like cheesy porn music. Sara was still chuckling when Roy came out of the bathroom. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, carrying the Arrow costume in his arms. Going to the closet, he hung the costume up.

“So, I take it things went well with Thea?” Sara asked.

“Yeah, we talked and ….” Roy started, only for Sara to cut him off.

“It that what they’re calling it these days? Well, I suppose that is one form of communication.”

“Sara, you are so bad.”

“Oh, come on, Roy. This is your girlfriend, whom you haven’t seen in months. I’d be disappointed if all you two did was just talk,” Sara told him. “I mean, Nyssa and I were insatiable when we’d get back together after a long mission and that was usually only a matter of a couple of weeks. Heck, I’m actually surprised that you’re even here instead of wherever you guys were.”

“We were at her loft and I left because I couldn’t take the chance of anyone seeing me around there,” Roy told her. “But, before I left, I left her a note saying that I’m not running away and that we’ll figure this out.”

“We’ll be there for you, you know that right?”

“I know and it means a lot.”

“Alright. So, plan for the day is breakfast followed by training. We’ll take a break and I’ll call Oliver, because he needs to know that the Bratva is making some major moves. If I’m right, taking over Starling City will just be the beginning. Once they have the city, they’ll spread out to Bludhaven, Monument Point, maybe even Central City, building off of what they’ve accomplished here. And if last night was any sign, they’re already too well armed for the team to take care of,” Sara told him.

“What are you thinking?” Roy asked.

“I don’t know, exactly. Maybe have Oliver bring the League back here, but I don’t like the idea because of the amount of innocents that could get hurt. Maybe Oliver will have some ideas.”

“Yeah, he should.”

“Breakfast is ready,” Sin called from the kitchen.

Roy and Sara came out of the bedroom and headed for the table. There were three plates set out and it was evident that Sin had taken her friend’s humorous comment to heart, as one of the plates was piled high with eggs, bacon and hash browns. Roy gave them both a look when they took the smaller plates, but that didn’t stop him from doing a masterful job of clearing the plate before him.

“Worked up an appetite, Abercrombie?”

“Don’t let anyone kid you. Running across half the city on roof tops is hard work,” Roy told her.

“That’s the story you’re going with? That it’s because you were running across roofs?” Sin asked with a smirk. “I wonder if I should call Thea and see what she’s having for breakfast.”

“Probably pancakes or waffles.”

“But how many, that’s the question. And does she do the Eggo waffles or homemade with a griddle? Because she might be too tired to go to all that work this morning.”

“Ha ha ha, Sin,” Roy said. “So funny.”

“We thought it was. Right, Sara,” Sin told him, looking at her friend for confirmation.

“It is kinda funny, Roy. But we’ll be good from now on, right Sin?” Sara offered.

“OK, we’ll back off the teasing, Abercrombie.”

“Good, because we need to get these dishes done so that we can get to training.”

Once everyone was done eating, Roy cleared the table and took the dishes to the sink. All his life, he’d never had a dishwasher and this place was no different. So, he filled the sink with hot water and dish soap, then set to scrubbing. He did the dishes first, then tackled the pans that Sin had used. Sara came over to help, taking on the drying for him. By the time they were done, the dish rack was empty, the sink was clean and the dishes were put away for the next time.

The trio went downstairs and headed over to the mats. Sara started with Sin, working on combinations of movements so that she could both defend and attack without missing a beat. The younger girl was progressing nicely, the blonde assassin thought before picking up the pace and adding in a couple of new moves. Sin stumbled back the first time, but quickly adapted to the new moves. Sara then slowed down, so that she could show the best way to use them as well as defend against them. Once she saw Sin had the hang of them, the faster pace resumed. She also took care to mix up her movements, so that there was no pattern for her student to pick up on and then make her moves based on that.

Sara and Sin trained together for an hour, then it was Roy’s turn. Their training was much the same, beginning by review of what was previously taught before adding in new attacks. As he was a little further along than Sin was, Sara decided to start incorporating some kicks into the moves she taught him. These were all low kicks, aimed for an opponents shins, knees and thighs. She liked these because they were quick strikes that if done right would take an opponent off their feet. She wanted to get Roy and later Sin used to the idea that taking an enemy out as fast as you can is the best option. She didn’t think that would be a problem for either of them given their backgrounds. For her, it hadn’t taken too long after everything she’d experienced on Lian Yu before joining the League.

Sara smiled when she took a second to look away from Roy and saw Sin practicing on the Wing Chun dummy. That second almost cost her, though, as Roy tried to use her distraction to his advantage. She was just able to block the punch and sidestep the kick aimed at her shin. She needed to block a couple of more strikes before she was able to turn things around and move back to the offensive. Still, she nodded at Roy, liking that he was fighting to win even in a training session.

“Nice, Roy,” Sara said. “Next time, though, kick first. Because of it being lower, it can be harder to see. Use the punch as a followup move. Like this.”

Sara kicked for his right shin, which he was able to avoid. However, this opened him up for the punch she threw, as well as the followup strike towards the throat. Roy grimaced, knowing that in a real world situation, he’d be out of the fight if not fatally injured. Stepping back and centering himself, Roy got back into the flow of attack and defend. They trained for an hour as well, then Sara called a halt.

The trio went back upstairs and settled into whatever seat happened to be closest and looked the most comfortable. Sara stopped in the bedroom and retrieved her phone before finding her seat. She and Sin were on the couch, while Roy was slumped in an armchair with his feet up on the coffee table. Once she was comfortable, she put the phone on speaker and dialed Oliver.

“Hi, Sara,”

“Hey, Ollie.”

“I’m going to assume something happened, which is why you are calling,” Oliver said.

“Yeah, you could definitely say that. So, when Roy and I ran into each other, we were both running down leads about drugs in Starling. We found out that a big shipment was supposed to be coming in last night, so the Arrow and Canary went out to stop it. When we got to where the deal was supposed to go down, we found three of the biggest gangs in the city gathered. Moreover, it was clear that they were all waiting for the same thing,” Sara told him.

“A fourth player, the one who was selling the drugs.”

“Exactly. As we were waiting, we spotted Thea and Laurel a couple of rooftops over. As we watched, three semis pulled in, along with four SUVs. I watched the men get out of the SUVs and they were Bratva, Ollie.”

“So, the Bertinelli family is gone, the Triad is crippled and the Bratva is the only major criminal organization in Starling. It doesn’t make sense for them to do a major drug deal with these gangs. Some deals for a kilo, maybe. Money’s money, after all. But something as big as you’re talking about, no Bratva captain would approve that, let alone Anatoly,” Oliver told her.

“I know, which is why I warned Thea and Laurel before they attacked. Turns out we were right, because this wasn’t a deal. It was a trap. The trucks had M-134s in their trailers and they used them to cut those three gangs to ribbons. At this point, Ollie, the Bratva effectively controls crime in Starling, because I’m sure that the rest of the criminals in the city are going to hear about this and get the message. Work with us and survive, perhaps even thrive. Compete with us and die,” Sara said.

“You need to warn the team about what we suspect, because this is just the beginning.”

“Yeah, Ollie.”

Oliver picked up on Sara’s lack of enthusiasm and realized that something happened with her and the team, something new.

“What’s wrong, Sara?”

“After we watched what had happened, we met up with Laurel and Thea. Laurel seemed kind of indifferent to Roy being back,” Sara said.

“It’s no big deal, Sara. Your sister and I barely knew each other, except as part of the team. We weren’t buddies, we didn’t hang out together or really anything,” Roy said, not really defending Laurel but rather trying to explain why Laurel reacted the way she did.

“Alright. Anyway, we started talking and Laurel made it clear that she and the rest of the team still have major trust issues regarding the League. They’re ignoring the fact that it was not the League, but rather Nyssa’s father that was the problem or that without the League I’d still be dead, Thea was still be suffering from blood lust. I almost wish I hadn’t come back to Starling City.”

Sin looked at Sara, pain in her eyes. It took Sara a moment to realize what she’d said and how the young woman might have taken it. So, she did the one thing that mattered most right now, she wrapped her arms around Sin and hugged her. Roy knew that Oliver was still on the phone, but knew that this right here was more important. So, he picked up the phone and quietly left the room, going downstairs into the old garage and over to the training area. Taking the phone off speaker, he put it to his ear.

“I’ll take care of informing the team, Oliver. Right now, Sara and Sin need to talk,” Roy told him.

“How are you going to inform the team without being spotted?”

“I’ll figure it out. Maybe wear something to shade my face, like a hat, and keep my head down. I mean, that works all the time in the movies, doesn’t it?”

That got a chuckle out of Oliver.

“What do you want them to do, if they ask?” Roy asked.

“Nothing, because Oliver Queen knows nothing about this. Tell them that Sara spoke with the League and that she suggests that the team avoid the Bratva at all cost until she hears back. Hopefully, Laurel and Thea told John about what happened and he’ll be smart enough to know that they’re outclassed,” Oliver replied, hoping that that would be the case.

“Got it. I’ll let them know.”

“Take care of yourself, Roy.”

With that Oliver disconnected the call. Roy went back upstairs and found the pair of women still talking. He did think that Sin looked a little less upset, so hopefully she’d come to understand that Sara hadn’t meant what she’d said the way that it had sounded. Still, he figured that he’d give them some more time and went to grab his coat. He also took Sara’s Starling City Rockets hat, figuring he could use it to shield his face. Ready to head out, he started towards the stairs again.

“Where are you going, Roy?” Sara asked.

“Figured I’d leave now and head out to find the team. By the time I find them, it should be dark enough that I’ll be able to meet with them,” Roy told her.

“Or, you could just use my phone, which you still have by the way, and call Felicity.”

Sara held out her hand for the phone and Roy handed it over. She pulled up her contacts and found the one for the blonde IT genius. So, she pressed dial and put it on speaker.

“I’m still working on that phone, Sara, but I’ll call you as soon as I have it done,” Felicity said quickly.

“Not why I’m calling, but OK,” Sara told her.

“Sorry, now’s really not a good time to talk, OK. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

The three of them look at the phone in confusion when the call disconnected.

“Turn on the TV, Sin. Maybe whatever is going on is on.”

Sin got the TV turned on and they didn’t find anything that gave them a hint as to why Felicity couldn’t talk right now. Maybe there was something going on at Palmer Technologies, something she couldn’t step away from. If other people were listening and she was worried about vigilante business being discussed, then it was only right to stop the phone call. And it wasn’t urgent, as the team most likely wasn’t out in broad daylight.

December 14, 2015

Moscow

Oliver walked into the bar of his hotel. The suit that he wore marked him as not just a foreigner, but a rich one as well. He’d selected this hotel so that he wouldn’t stand out too much. He’d also chosen it as his initial meeting place with the man he’d come to see. Going to the bar, he ordered a vodka and drained the glass. He then held up two fingers and pointed to a table near the back of the room. The bartender nodded and turned away while Oliver went over to the table he’d selected.

Out of habit, Oliver selected a chair that gave him the best view of the bar and the entrance. He let his eyes trail over the men gathered here and found three that he pegged as Bratva. He saw little glimpses of tattoos and the telltale bulge of a concealed pistol under their coats. He honestly would have been surprised if there weren’t members of Bratva present. The fact that there were didn’t bother him in the slightest.

The drinks were brought over to the table and Oliver pushed them both to the middle. Oliver kept scanning the room with his eyes, barely moving his head. It was one of the advantages of how he was sitting, that almost everything and everyone were within his field of view. Finally, he spotted the person he had come to see, trailed by two men who Oliver instantly placed as bodyguards.

Once he had been spotted, Oliver rose and extended a hand as the other man approached the table. He was somewhat surprised when the hand remained unshaken, causing him to lower it before things became awkward.

“You should know that you are not welcome in Russia, Oliver,” Anatoly said as he looked at his former friend and colleague. “Not after what happened with Alexi Leonov. You know how it works, one hand washes the other. You seek favor, must give favor. You did not.”

“I agree. I didn’t grant the favor Alexi sought, because there was a more pressing problem, Slade Wilson. And I couldn’t afford to divide my focus,” Oliver replied.

“That fight was your fight, not ours. And yet, by forcing Alexi to do your bidding, you made it ours and we suffered for it. It has taken almost two years to rebuild what we lost, though it would have taken longer if not for your actions, ‘Arrow’. You broke the Italians for us, you crippled the Triad. Without that, we would still be picking up the pieces.”

“I didn’t do those things for you. I did them so that the people of my city could have a better life. A life free of criminals preying on them every day, a life where the elite few weren’t conspiring to hold them down in the name of greater profits.”

“So, what now? You are here to threaten me, to make me leave ‘your’ city. No. My men like Starling City. They like the weather, the easy money to be made and how ineffective the police are. They say that they have not even seen ‘the Arrow’, just a few wannabe vigilantes. But most of all, they like the women, especially these two,” Anatoly said, as he removed his phone from his coat pocket and slid it across the small table to Oliver. “They are quite beautiful, I agree.”

“Threatening them would be a grave mistake, Anatoly,” Oliver said flatly.

“Oh, this is not a threat. This is a simple example of cause and effect. I knew, when we began expanding in Starling City that eventually this might occur. Despite all we have done for one another, I knew you would not allow us to do what we must. So, I prepared for this day, by learning all I could about those closest to you. Your sister and Miss Lance were fairly obvious choices.”

“Anatoly, what you propose would be the gravest mistake that you could make. I’m sure that you’ve heard of the League of Assassins, how they are headed by a man named Ra’s al Ghul?”

“Yes, I have, but I do not see what that has to do with you. Ra’s al Ghul is not a name you simply drop in conversation trying to frighten someone. He is a very serious and deadly man,” Anatoly said, fixing Oliver with a stare that didn’t faze the American.

“Yes, my predecessor was. I fought the man twice. The first time, he nearly killed me because I wasn’t prepared to do all that was necessary to defeat him. The second time, I was and that is why I was able to defeat him, kill him and take his place as the Demon’s Head, Ra’s al Ghul. So, this is not the man you once knew, he is dead, alive only in the past. He has been reborn, first as Al Sah-him and then as Ra’s al Ghul. So, I would advise you listen carefully. Your men will leave Starling City and there will be peace with the League. Or, you will ignore me and remain in the city, attempt to take my sister and Laurel as hostages to prevent an attack. If you choose the second option, you are condemning the Bratva to death. Not just in Starling, but around the world,” Oliver said.

“You’re assuming you’ll walk out of here,” Anntoly told him, snapping his fingers. All five of the Bratva men stood and faced the table.

“I could say the same for you.”

With that, twenty people in the bar all stood and faced the table. They formed a semi-circle around the Bratva men. Outwardly, none appeared to be armed, but it would be a mistake to rely on outward appearances. Anatoly looked at those surrounding him and then focused back on Oliver.

“They are not exactly what I would expect, if you were speaking the truth.”

“Well, people in black robes with hoods and veils tend to stand out in someplace like Moscow. So, they are dressed as people who would frequent this establishment are. Deception and theatricality are powerful agents, I have learned. Now, back to the business at hand,” Oliver told him.

“I can not leave Starling City,” Anatoly said. “We need to expand and as other brotherhoods have already staked their claims on the eastern United States, we are forced to focus on the western part of the country. If we don’t expand, then the brothers will think I am weak and seek to take what is mine.”

“I understand.”

With that, Oliver got up and walked away. The assassins in the bar followed along behind him. He had suspected that this was how their meeting would go, but he had hoped the other man would see reason. Sadly that was not to be, so they would have to use other methods to end the Bratva’s presence in Starling.

December 15, 2015

Starling City

After Laurel and Thea had seen what happened to the gangs at the hand of the Bratva, the team had pulled back. Dig had explained his concerns and the group decided that it would be for the best if they limited their activities to basic patrolling. When they attacked, it was only low level street criminals, relatively easy prey. At the first sign of trouble, Dig was pulling them back. The others all understood why, but it didn’t make things any less frustrating.

They has seen Roy out a couple of nights, doing work at the Arrow. Sara, however, was nowhere to be found. None of them thought that she was gone, but rather that she was focusing more on League business, whatever that might be. After her call a few days ago, Sara hadn’t tried to get back in touch with the team. However, the team also hadn’t made an effort to get in touch with her either. It wasn’t necessarily either side’s fault, but rather the usual condition of the squeaky wheel getting the grease. Felicity was getting more wrapped up in her searches and when Sara hadn’t tried calling back, she simply assumed that it was no longer important, had never been important or had been handled by the blonde assassin. So, the IT genius had pushed it to the side and returned her focus to what she considered more important matters.

Right now, the searches she had running were the more important matters. She’d made great strides in finding out who had been able to find Roy in Monument Point. And sadly, it had all turned out to be a really bad, completely terrible case of wrong place, wrong time. An off-duty Monument Point police officer just happened to be in the shop at the same time that Roy Harper was. Said officer had a brother-in-law on the SCPD and the officer happened to remember hearing all about the Arrow from his rather smug in-law over the labor day holiday. So, while he might have been off-duty, his cop brain hadn’t turned off. Rather it had gone into overdrive at sighting someone who looked a lot like the supposedly dead Roy Harper, aka The Arrow. This had caused the man to keep digging, especially with his gut telling him that even if this turned out not to be that person, there was still something wrong about the guy.

She’d left that information along with the phone at Sara’s apartment building. She’s also left a note that she was working on another identity for Roy and that next time, it might be a good idea for Roy to get further away from Starling City. Not Gotham, that was not a viable option unless Roy was looking to get killed. Maybe someplace in the Midwest, somewhere quiet and relatively crime free.

Her other set of searches were not going so well. Or rather they were, but the information she was getting was not the information she had wanted. Because, so far, she had not been able to find a single verifiable piece of data putting Oliver where his phone data said he was. Nothing in customs, nothing at any hotels, motels or bed and breakfast spots. She’d even gone so far as the check on people who simply matched his general description and had passed through that city at the same time his phone was there. Those people had all checked out to be who their information said they were, meaning another dead end.

Yet, his phone data said that he was there. So, the question was, which was lying? Because, while she hadn’t gone through all of the data, she’d gone through enough to have reached the very firm conclusion that he wasn’t where they thought he was. And if that was true, then where in the world was Oliver Queen. A whole raft of questions followed that one, but that was the most important one. Which is why she was now working on tracking down when exactly he had left Starling City. There was a part of her that wondered why she hadn’t started with this, but she knew the answer all too well. Despite everything, there was a part of her that still wanted to believe Oliver, even when all of the available evidence told her that she shouldn’t.

The long hours in front of the computer, between working for the team and working at Palmer Technologies, meant that right now Felicity wasn’t as sharp as she usually was. This was probably the reason that she missed the blinking icon in the lower right corner of one of the displays. She definitely didn’t miss the results of the missed warning, as an electrical surge went through her computers and the lights blew in the underground room. By the time the emergency lights came on, she could smell the burnt electronics. Getting up from her seat, she walked into the small server room she’d built and began going through the equipment to try and determine what was a loss and what might be salvaged. She knew that she had spare equipment. Heck, whatever she might not have, Palmer Technologies certainly would. The only downside of taking it from there was having to create the fake paper trails to explain where it had supposedly gone to. Sighing, she realized that none of her searches were going to get anywhere tonight and depending on how long it took her to replace everything that was down here, maybe not for a couple of days.

Across town in an old house, a young woman with brown hair and glasses sat before a computer workstation that had been assembled in the old dining room. A total of five monitors had been arranged around her. Three were for the task that she had been performing, while the other two monitored CCTV feeds from her target’s location. Or had monitored, as her electrical feedback strike had taken them off line at the same time it had damaged the rest of the electronic equipment on site. So, at this point, she was blind to what Ms. Smoak was doing or would be doing. But, that was not her concern at the moment. Rather, it was the fact that she had performed the task assigned to her.

“Satisfied?” she asked the man standing behind her, a man that had been her guard and guardian since she’d been brought her.

“Yes. You have done well,” Salah told her with a smile. “And you will still be able to gain access after she repairs the damage you have done?”

“No doubt about it. Once she replaces the hardware, she will reinstall the base software and download the rest from one of her offsite backups. Her backups also have the same Trojan embedded that I was using to gain access. The only way for her to find that would be by a line by line check of the source code, which would take additional time as every program would have to be checked to find the one that has it, assuming there is only one.”

Salah had understood little of what the young woman said. What he did know was that she was a master at finding information online. The decision made six months ago by Ra’s to spare her had proven to be of great benefit to the League. She had uncovered several human trafficking rings around the world, including the hidden backers who financed them. By the time she was done, those ill-gotten gains had been transferred to the League’s coffers and the men and women who had profited from the suffering of others were dead. Now, she was blinding the vigilantes of this city while the League’s shadows gathered the information necessary to destroy the Bratva in the city.


	19. Making Plans, Making Choices

December 16, 2015

Starling City

Thea was sitting in the dining area, reading over the various documents that her lawyers had completed so that she could reopen Verdant. The biggest hurdle had been trying to get the liquor license back. The license that the club had been operating under had been in Oliver’s name as owner. That license had been revoked after his assets had been frozen, alone with her own, when he’d been arrested for being the Arrow. What her lawyers had worked out with the state had been a stroke of genius, with the law firm holding the license and Thea agreeing to hire a General Manager for the club who was of age. So, the plan was to have the club open in time for a big New Years Eve bash, just as soon as she found her manager.

In some ways, she was surprised at how quickly the year had gone by. In others, it felt as if time had crawled. The biggest were the two people who would be missing this Christmas. Oliver was in Nanda Parbat doing who knows what with the League of Assassins and Roy might be in Starling, but he certainly couldn’t show up for Christmas at the loft. When she’d decorated this year, it had been mostly to remember the Christmases of the past.

The smell of coffee and sausages wafted out of the kitchen, causing her stomach to rumble a little. She looked down at the paperwork again and realized what was really holding her back on the club. Starling didn’t feel like home any more. Every person she loved was either dead or gone. Roy promised that they would find a way to be together, but she couldn’t see how. Maybe they could go someplace that didn’t have extradition to the United States and live out their lives? The very idea seemed boring in the extreme. She’d gotten a taste of being a vigilante now and she enjoyed the feeling too much to go back to what everyone considered normal. There was also the fact that they were doing some good out there and stopping would erase all of that.

“I see you’re thinking deep thoughts this morning,” Noah said as he brought a plate of eggs and sausages over to her, along with a mug of coffee. “Anything I can help you with?”

“I wish, but it’s something I need to figure out for myself,” Thea told him.

“Ah, then it must be about a boy.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to, Thea. If it was about something in those papers in front of you, I’m fairly certain you’d accept help. So, if it’s not that, then it’s either you’re trying to figure out how to ask me to leave or it’s about a man in your life. Since the first involves me, I know you’d want to talk to me about it, which leaves only the last. And with that being said, I’m not going to pry into it any further,” Noah stated before going to get his breakfast.

“It’s not that I couldn’t use some advice, it’s just that the situation is really complicated and I don’t think it would be right to get you involved in it,” Thea replied.

“One could say the same about my situation and yet you involved yourself without hesitation. It would be ill-mannered of me not to do the same for you.”

“And I appreciate that greatly, I do. It’s just that this involves other people’s secrets and I just think that I shouldn’t break their confidence by telling someone else.”

“I understand, Thea,” Noah told her. “So, let me try this. Do you love him?”

“I really do,” Thea said.

“Then, you need to trust that whatever the problem is, your love for each other will see you through it. That’s what I’m doing with Donna, trusting that the love we share will bring us back together. Now, I’m not foolish enough to believe it will be easy, but we’ll get there eventually.”

“Thank you, Noah.”

Thea was about to reply when her phone rang. Not seeing on the table, she got up and walked towards the couch, finding it on the coffee table. Picking it up, she saw an unknown number and hoped that it would be Roy calling.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Speedy,” Oliver said. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. Just wishing you could be here for Christmas, but I’m sure you have something more important going on.”

“Well then, this is your lucky day. Nyssa and I are going to be in town for the holidays, just to spend some time with you.”

“Are you serious? How long will you be in town for? More than just the day, I hope,” Thea told him.

“We’ll be arriving in town on the twentieth or twenty-first and leaving around the twenty-eighth, so we’ll have the better part of a week to spend together. Nyssa and I may have some business to take care of, but it shouldn’t take more than a day and other than that, we are all yours,” Oliver told her.

“This is going to be so great. Are you going to see the others while you’re here?”

“Maybe, but this is primarily so that we can spend some time together. That’s what I want to focus on.”

“I can’t wait to see you, Ollie,” Thea told him, her voice filled with joy. She’d spent too much time without her brother already.

“I can’t wait to see you too, Speedy,” Oliver told her. “I miss you. Now, I have to go, but we’ll be together before you know it. We’ll get out Raisa’s recipe for gingerbread and make a gingerbread house, just the way we did as kids.”

“That sounds wonderful. And maybe ice skating, too.”

“We’ll see. Rather do a Christmas movie marathon, though.”

“You know me, I’ve got bunches of them,” Thea said.

“Well, have them ready and we’ll do that,” Oliver told her. “Love you, Speedy.”

“Love you too, Ollie.”

A few tears escaped when Oliver ended the call, but they were tears of joy. Joy not just that she’d be seeing her brother soon, but also at the happy memories he’d evoked with his comments. The gingerbread houses that Raisa would make for them, which she’d then steal the gumdrops off of and blame Ollie for. The movie marathons in the entertainment room, where they’d watch things like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” early for her, then watch “White Christmas” or “It’s a Wonderful Life” later. Thea always fell asleep on the couch before those were over, but that just meant that Ollie and her would end up sleeping on the couches.

December 16, 2015

Starling City

Roy sat on the ground, watching as Sara and Sin trained. He’d been impressed with how far she’d come and so had Sara, clearly. Yesterday, she had introduced a new element to their training by added Escrima sticks and teaching Sin how to use them. From now on, they would be doing half of their time unarmed, while the rest would be weapons training. As petite as Sin was, weapons like Sara’s bo or a katana didn’t really suit her. Something like Laurel’s tonfa or perhaps a Sai would be a better choice for her, which is why Sara had already made plans with An-Nur to assist with that when the time came. The Sai were her personal weapon and Sara knew she was very good with them..

Roy had already had some experience with Escrima sticks training with Dig and Oliver, so he had gone first. Sara had used him as her visual aide, as she’d shown Sin the basics. Then she and Roy had really sparred, where Roy got to see that the difference between Sara and Oliver was night and day. Oliver was bigger, stronger and hit harder, while Sara was all speed and agility, lightning quick strikes that had him working simply to block them. And by forcing him to work hard on blocking, she was leaving him with little opportunity to stage his own attacks.

Roy watched as Sin blocked a strike before attempting one of her own. The sound of the sticks hitting together had a strange musical quality to it that he found soothing in its own way. The occasional groans of pain when Sara would catch the younger woman with a strike only served as a counterpoint. He smiled as he watched them circle one another before the next set of strikes and blocks were made. This went on for another ten minutes before Sara stepped back and raised her sticks.

“Very good, Sin. So good in fact, that I think you’ve earned a reward,” Sara said, as she took Sin’s sticks as well. Putting them on the weapons rack, she led the way upstairs. There on the table sat a large box. Both Sin and Roy knew that it hadn’t been there before they’d gone downstairs for training and were curious about where it had come from, as they could not remember having seen the box before.

“Nyssa had this made for you at my request. Now is the time for you to have it, Ta-er Aswad.”

With that, Sin opened the box and began removing the clothing within. Once everything was laid out, she looked it over. It was different from Sara’s Canary costume, that was for certain. The hood reminded her of the Arrow’s, but still it wasn’t the same.

“This is a League uniform, Ta-er Aswad. You will wear it tonight and you’ll accompany me on my mission. Your mission is to observe and stay hidden,” Sara told her.

“Thank you, Sara,” Sin said.

“Tonight, you’ll address me as Ta-er al-Sahfer. Sin and Sara don’t exist tonight. Tonight, you’re just another member of the League and I am in charge. That means what I say, you do. Understood?”

“Understood, Ta-er al-Sahfer.”

“Good. Remember that, in case we run into other members of the League while we are out. People impersonating a member of the League face swift justice. If one approaches you, you are Ta-er Aswad, student of Ta-er al-Sahfer. Should that not suffice, tell them to speak with Nyssa al Ghul, bride of the Demon,” Sara told her.

“What about weapons?” Sin asked.

“I’ll give you one of my bo, broken down as batons. Do not lose them.”

“I won’t. Probably won’t even need them, but just in case.”

“You can’t go out there expecting not to have to use them. You need to go out there prepared to use them, if necessary to take someone’s life. Because if you’re not prepared to do just that, you’ll hesitate and that could get you killed,” Sara told her. “If you can’t do that, then you can’t accompany me tonight.”

Sin went silent at that. She wanted to go with Sara, but was she ready to do that. To kill someone. It was a big step, especially when everything society had taught her said that killing was wrong. Yet, she’d spent enough time with Sara and Roy, not to mention on the streets, to know that there were times when killing was right. And Sara wasn’t asking her to kill someone in cold blood, but rather to be prepared to take a life to save her own or that of someone else. She could do that, she thought.

“I can do it,” Sin told her.

“Then, grab all of that and follow me.”

Sin picked the clothing off the table and followed Sara into the bedroom. Sara had her strip down to her underwear, then showed her how to put on the uniform. It wasn’t much different from normal clothes, but there were a few tricks to get everything where it needed to be. The biggest difference was the long coat that went with it. This was something that Sin wasn’t used to wearing, but she found that she liked it. Once she had everything on except for the hood and some kind of face covering, Sara then took her own uniform from the closet and got dressed. Sin felt it was like looking into a mirror, one that was just a little taller. She also noticed the golden yellow trim on Sara’s uniform and looked at her own. She could just barely make out the different shade on hers, between the black and a midnight blue color.

“What’s this?” Sin asked, holding up the veil.

“That’s your veil. It has several purposes. Firstly, it hides your features, so that an enemy only sees your eyes. Second, it prevents blood from entering your mouth when you kill someone, especially if you slit your enemy’s throat or such. Lastly, it is a fine mesh, so if someone throws a powder at you, it will keep most of it from reaching your mouth or getting in your lungs. I haven’t had to put that to the test, but I know Nyssa has,” Sara told her, as she helped her get it positioned correctly.

“How do I look?”

“Good, just need your weapons and you’d be ready to go.”

With that, the pair exited the bedroom and found Roy sitting on the couch. When he caught sight of them, he smiled and nodded his head. Sara headed back downstairs, while Roy went into the bedroom. Sin wasn’t surprised to see him come back out dressed in the Arrow costume by the time Sara was coming back upstairs with a pair of bo staffs, as well as a bow for herself.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sara asked Roy.

“Just going to do some light patrolling, that’s all,” Roy told her.

“Stick towards the edge of the Glades, then. We’re going to be towards the docks and there will be other members of the League out as well.”

Roy nodded his acceptance of Sara’s instructions. He knew that the League wouldn’t go out of its way to engage him, as they would instead be focused on their tasks. But, it was still better that he be warned, so that he didn’t interfere by mistake. Besides, there was more than enough crime here that he’d still be fairly busy just in that part of the Glades. Looking out the windows, he could see that it was dark enough. One of the benefits of this time of year, the longer hours of darkness meant more time for people like him to patrol the city. The fact that criminals used those same hours of darkness to ply their trade could make it seem a wash, but he’d take what he could get.

Sin was fairly bouncing on her toes, nervous energy coursing through her. She was so looking forward to this, the chance to get out there with Sara and help her city. Yeah, she knew that they were supposed to stay hidden and just watch, which was not much different than what she’d done before for the blonde assassin. Yet, this time felt different, felt like she was doing more. And she wanted to do more, to be more than just the lookout, the girl who took care of the Canary and got her food. Sin knew she wasn’t there, yet, but soon she would be and today was the next step on the road to getting there.

“We’ll see you later, Roy. Let’s go, Ta-er Aswad,” Sara said, heading for the ladder to the rooftop hatch, not waiting to see if Sin followed her.

Once they were on the roof, Sara motioned for Sin to follow her and set off. Sara kept the pace relatively easy, both to benefit Sin and also because there was no real hurry to get to their destination. Even so, it didn’t take them long to reach their destination, an abandoned office building that overlooked a trucking company’s freight yard. On the surface, it was surprising that they company had stayed in the Glades or even Starling City for that matter. Add in the fact that the company had never been robbed, at least according to police records, and it was an outright miracle. It was only when you dug deeper that the truth began to emerge, that this was a front for the Bratva.

Sara’s mission tonight was to try to identify the players, because there were certainly some people working here who weren’t Bratva. Most would be people from the Glades, grateful for any job they could get. They were innocent in the League’s eyes and as long as they didn’t try to help their employers, they would be left alone. Settling into the shadows, she took out a pair of small notepads and pens and handed one of each to Sin.

“We need to get license plates and physical descriptions. Pay special attention to men with lots of tattoos, as those are likely to be members of the Bratva,” Sara told Sin, keeping her voice low.

“Got it, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Sin replied, a smile evident in her voice.

While Sin settled in to do as ordered, Sara looked the building over. She was looking for infiltration points, guards who might be patrolling the exterior and any other security measures. She also sketched out the building, noting doors and windows. When she had that done, she joined Sin in watching the comings and goings from the building. She also made sure to be mindful of her surroundings, which was something that she would have to teach Sin as well. Still, as the hours passed, she was pleased. Sin had managed to remain relatively still and hadn’t once complained, even when Sara left her alone a couple of times so that she could move closer to the other building in order to get a better look at something.

By three in the morning, Sara felt that they had seen all they needed to see. So, she got up and motioned for Sin to follow her. They began jumping between the building, making their way back to the safe house. They’d gone about a mile when Sara slowed up, causing Sin to look over at her quizzically.

“Down!” Sarah shouted, dropping as an arrow flew past her head, followed by two more in quick succession. “This way, Ta-er Aswad!”

Sara moved them to cover behind the rooftop brick house of the stairway. She took her bow and knocked an arrow, listening. Sin, seeing this, took out her batons, earning a nod from her teacher. There, just a faint sound but it was enough. Whoever it was that was out there, she knew where they were now. Stepping from cover, she rapidly fired a pair of arrows at their attacker before catching sight of who it was. She gave a barely audible curse as she stared at the woman across from her wielding the custom crossbow.

“Why are you watching that building?” Helena asked as she advanced.

“The League does not explain itself to the likes of you, Helena Bertinelli,” Sara replied.

“The League? So, you’re not Yakuza or Triad, looking to take revenge on the Bratva for muscling you out of Starling City, just like they’re trying to do in Coast City?”

“You insult us to think that we would work with either the Yakuza or Triad, Miss Bertinelli. What is your interest in the Bratva?”

“They’re scum, just like my father. They don’t care who they have to hurt to get to the top and they’ll do anything they have to in order to stay there. And there seems to be a lack of people willing to do what’s necessary to stop people like them.”

Sara paused at that, wondering. She didn’t like the woman, doubted if she ever would. She remembered her taking all of those people hostage, including Laurel, in her quest to kill her father. Her goal was worthy, it was her methods that were questionable at best. But then, that might just be that she had never been shown a better way, though Sara remembered Oliver had tried once and failed. Maybe Nyssa would have better luck, she thought as she made a decision. Taking her notepad out, she quickly wrote something, then tore it off and held it out for Helena to take.

“What’s this?” Helena asked.

“A new start, if you’re deemed worthy. Go there and ask to be taken to Ra’s al Ghul. Tell them that Ta-er al-Sahfer sent you. If you are deemed worthy, you will be trained to become a member of the League of Assassins. If you are not, you will be killed, so consider your choice wisely,” Sara told her.

“I’ll consider it.”

With that, Helena turned and walked away. Sara just stood there and watched her go, curious as to what her choice would ultimately be. She was also curious how Oliver and Nyssa would react if former Mafia princess showed up looking to be trained. She thought Oliver might give her a chance, even though he had initially failed to turn her from her path of vengeance. He might see something within her worth the League’s time and effort or he might conclude that she was too far gone, too dangerous to be trained and in need of being put down.

“Who was that?” Sin asked as she came up next to Sara.

“That was Helena Bertinelli. Her father was Frank Bertinelli, the Mob boss. She realized that he was evil, so she tried gathering evidence against him to turn over to the FBI. Her father found out, but thought it was her fiance who was the informant and had him killed. So, she started a one woman war against the Bertinelli family. She got on Oliver’s radar when she nearly killed his mother while she was targeting one of the family’s soldiers. Oliver stopped her, but thought he had found someone like him and decided to try to show her a different path. He failed with her. She disappeared for a while before coming back when her father was supposed to testify at a trial. She and a group of mercenaries took the courthouse hostage, including my sister. She forced Oliver to trade her father for my sister, so she could kill him. He did die that night, just not be her hand and she was arrested,” Sara told her.

“Guess she got out somehow.”

“Yeah, she did. Last I had heard, she was in Gotham picking off the last remaining members of the family. Guess she finally did and decided to broaden her horizons.”

“And you’re offering her an introduction to the League?” Sin asked.

“Yep. Whether Ra’s decides she’s worthy or not, that’s an entirely different matter. Besides, people seek out the League for a variety of different reasons, just as people join the military or any other calling. Now, let us continue before it gets light out,” Sara told her before setting off again.

Sin followed along behind, pushing herself to keep up with the pace that Sara was now setting. She was never more glad to see anything that when the rooftop of the safe house came into view. Once they were inside, they changed their clothes and put away their uniforms before heading down to the garage. Getting on the motorcycle, they left for the drive across town to their apartment. If they were lucky, Sin figured they would get up in time for either a late breakfast or lunch before heading back to train, unless Sara had something else in mind for the morning.

December 18, 2015

Starling City

Felicity sat back from the server rack as she waited for the new equipment to finish its self tests and come completely online. She would have to do a little configuration work at the console here, then she would be able to bring the new system fully online and get everything loaded. Taking a moment to think, she figured it would likely be the work of a couple of hours to get everything done. At that point, she would be back in business and so would an important part of the team. After what had happened, she’d been forced to rely on her secondary systems. Those were barely enough to get by on, but not to do the in depth searches that she’d had running previously. For those, she needed the full power of her custom servers or to chance using public resources which could be traced.

After the rack came online, she started her downloads to get it fully operational. While those were going on, she turned and looked at the box full of damaged equipment that she had removed. At first, she’d been stumped. The industrial grade surge protector hadn’t faulted, nor had it been damaged. In fact, all of the damage was exclusively within the old server rack. Given how extensive it was, she couldn’t determine the root cause. So, she was going to make sure she checked and rechecked everything before too long. She’d really wanted to do it before she brought the rack online, but she was concerned about leaving the team blind for too long. So, she was just going to have to use whatever time she had to go over everything while the system was running.

Instead, she’d upgraded the network firewalls and added another set to routers between her server and the internet. She was confident that those measures would be enough to keep someone out of her system. Because she was almost positive that what had happened had to be the work of someone trying to get control of her system and somehow causing the overload. If she could figure out who it was, she’d send the team after them. It had hurt her, in her very soul, to see that much precious technology destroyed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the monitor showing her login screen. Typing in her credentials, she got access and checked her programs quickly. Everything tested out, meaning that she was back in business. She pulled up her searches and got them running again, then logged into the city’s CCTV camera system and confirmed control before getting access to the city’s emergency services system so that the team could monitor that as well.

Glancing at the clock, she saw it was late. So, she left the searches to run, while she headed upstairs to the apartment Ray had created. One that she was coming to spend more and more time in, not that either of them minded that state of affairs. When she got off the elevator, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the light in the office was already turned off. So, she entered the apartment and smiled at the sight of Ray already asleep in bed. So, she hurriedly undressed and slipped beneath the covers to join him.

By the time she was asleep, someone else was in her computer system. Knowing it would be too much of a coincidence to have the system self-destruct, the hacker settled for something a little more subtle this time. Pulling up the searches that were currently running, she checked the parameters and made two small changes, so small that they were not likely to be found until the search failed to produce results. As such, this would only slow Miss Smoak down, because if there was one thing the hacker was coming to appreciate about her opponent, it was her tenacity. In all likelihood, she would simply run a different variation of the search.

“Is it done?” Salah asked from behind her.

“For now,” the woman answered. “This will only slow her down, not stop her. Though, I don’t understand why Ra’s al Ghul is so interested in this search for Oliver Queen.”

“All you need to know is it is the will of Ra’s al Ghul, al Qarasina.”

“Yes, Sir.”

With that, she turned back to the computer and got to work on her other project, searching for information on the license plate numbers and descriptions provided by the League’s shadows. This would be invaluable when action was eventually taken against the Bratva and from the sound of things, that was going to happen soon. So, she took another drink from her energy drink and plowed ahead. She’d already developed a list of names, now she was looking for police records, known associates and anything else she could discover relating to these men.

As she worked, she thought back to that night six months ago that had changed her life. She had been a member of Helix, under Cayden James. She’d been drawn in by his promises of using hacktivist tactics to make the world a better place. It was only when she saw what he was actually doing that she realized this wasn’t for her. James didn’t really care about making the world a better place, he cared about lining his own pockets and had been selling the group’s services to the highest bidder. One such group had come to the attention of the League, using Helix to take over a country’s power grid and holding it for ransom. What that group didn’t know was the leader of that country had pledged loyalty to Ra’s al Ghul. As such, the League viewed this attack as an insult and exacted a bloody revenge.

When the League managed to find the site where Helix was working from, they’d captured her along with James and three others. Looking at the figures in the black robes, with only their eyes visible, she had been certain she was going to die that day. She’d watched as James and the others had been executed, for there was no other word that came to mind for what was done to them. When the man with the sword had turned to her, she was confused when the sword stroke never came. Instead, her hands had been bound behind her back and she’d found herself carried from the building and loaded into an SUV.

From there, she’d been taken to Nanda Parbat. She learned that the man who’d spared her was Ra’s al Ghul, the leader of the League of Assassins. She had been offered a choice, to join the League and swear her loyalty or to be executed for her crimes. She’d readily chosen the first, not then knowing that there were days when that choice would feel like the worst of her two options. For three months, they’d trained her while she’d also trained some of them. She’d learned various martial arts, while she taught her skills with technology. By the time she was done, there was a team of hackers in the League and she had been reborn as al Qarasina. Alena Whitlock was forgotten, she was alive only in the past.


	20. Season's Beatings

December 19, 2015

Moscow

Oliver stepped off the transport aircraft that had brought him and his group from the League’s airfield near Nanda Parbat. He had used the flight to go over the plan with them one last time, so that every member knew what their assignment was. Now, he watched as they filed off the plane and went to the waiting SUVs, where they met with shadows that were stationed in and around Moscow.

“My lord, we are ready,” Cheshire said from beside him.

“Good,” Oliver told her as he pulled out his satellite phone and dialed a number.

“Yes, Husband,” Nyssa said.

“We have arrived and are proceeding to our targets. Give us one hour and then begin phase two.”

“Very well. We will be cutting it close to daylight, I assume you know.”

Looking at his watch, he saw it was three in the afternoon. That made it four in the morning in Starling City and by the time they attacked, the sky would be lightening up. Still, he judged it was a risk worth taking. He wanted to avoid, if possible, one group alerting the other. Not that it would likely matter, but he was going to seize every advantage he could.

“I understand. Be quick and be safe, my wife,” Oliver told her.

“I’ll see you when you arrive in Starling, Husband,” Nyssa said as she hung up the call.

Oliver took one last look before joining Cheshire at the SUV that was for them. Once they were inside, the driver took off and lead the small convoy away from the airfield towards the metropolis. He settled back, letting his memories wash over him as he thought about his time in Russia. Anatoly had been a friend then, their bond from surviving Lian Yu and Ivo mutually beneficial. He couldn’t help thinking about that time and regretting that things had come to this.

When they reached the city, the convoy split apart. Each SUV had a specific target. Oliver had Cheshire with him as their target was actually four. Anatoly was something of a creature of habit and Oliver knew that he and his top captains would be meeting at the bar that served as the home of Anatoly’s office. It served as a way for him to keep informed about what was going on and to make sure any misbehavior was dealt with swiftly. Unfortunately, it also made for a prime opportunity for his enemies, if they were bold enough, to take out almost the entire command structure of the organization.

At present, Anatoly did not believe there were any so bold. Yes, Oliver had threatened him, but he was quite certain the younger man was trying to bluff him. Kapiushon was a formidable opponent, but he was not capable of defeating the Bratva all by himself. Still, he had added some extra guards and put their people in Starling City on notice, feeling that if an attack was to come, it would be there.

So, Anatoly and his men sat in his office enjoying vodka and cigars as they discussed the day. The office was soundproofed so that no one outside could hear what was being discussed. He also had a pair of former KGB officers on his payroll who swept the office for electronic surveillance devices on a random schedule. This evening, the soundproofing worked against them.

The SUV containing Oliver and Cheshire stopped in an alley a block from the bar. The pair of assassins got out of the vehicle and quickly made their way to the rooftop. There, they were able to see guards on the roof of the bar. The outside guards had been dispatched quickly, shot down with arrows. Cheshire may not be as skilled with a bow as Oliver or her sister, but she’s still more than up to the task. Once the outside is clear, they crossed over to the roof of the bar itself and went for the access hatch into the bar itself. This would be the most dangerous point, as it was only a small port barely big enough for one man. With one of them going through, they would be vulnerable to anyone below them and the person left above would be unable to help.

At the hatch, Oliver and Cheshire exchanged a look before he pulled the hatch back. A quick scan revealed nobody below, but Cheshire still moved quickly as she dropped through the hatch, a knife in each hand. There! The knives were thrown, as she grabbed another pair, not noticing Oliver come through behind her as her eyes searched for other Bratva men. Just as she spotted another, a flechette was embedded in his throat. Together, the pair of assassins moved forward into the bar as a whole. There were a few innocents who immediately took flight as they came into the main area, forming a crush at the door to the outside. They ignored this as they engaged the Bratva men who were trying to retrieve their weapons from where they’d concealed them. Only one managed to get a pistol out, but wasn’t able to fire a shot as an arrow pierced his heart.

Once the men out there were dead, they headed back through the bar for the office. As they walked, Oliver lifted one of the bodies off the floor and carried it with them. Cheshire raised an eyebrow at that, only to be met with a look that she interpreted as a smirk. It was when they got to the door that she figured out what he was doing, as she saw the small sliding window in the door. Oliver held the body up in front of the door, so that the face was aligned with the window, before he banged on the door.

“What is it?” Anatoly called in Russian.

“Someone here to see you, Pakhan,” Oliver replied, deepening his voice.

“Tell them to wait. We are meeting.”

“He says it’s about Kapiushon, Pakhan.”

Oliver smiled when he heard the shutter slide back and a moment later, the welcome sound of the deadbolt being released. As soon as it was, he turned the nob and shoved with all of his strength. The body of the dead Bratva member virtually catapulted into the room, ending up on its knees with its head on Anatoly’s desk. The only man to survive the initial onslaught was Anatoly himself, as the three captains died where they stood. Two were by Cheshire’s knives, one from a flechette from Oliver.

“I take it this is it, eh?” Anatoly said as he stood from behind the desk.

“It would seem so,” Oliver said with a nod.

“And this is how you repay me, for helping you after Lian Yu?”

“I repaid that when I helped make you Pakhan, helped you take out Kovar and Gregor. This is because you could not accept limits on how far you could go. I told you to remove your men from Starling City and you refused.”

“Because to back down as you demanded would have left me vulnerable to the other Bratva organizations. All this will accomplish is to make them stronger, as they fight over my territory and former members,” Anatoly told him, resigned to his fate.

“No, they won’t. Because we will be visiting them as well, once we have finished with you. And after they have seen the example we make with your organization, they will be more open to acceding to my commands,” Oliver told him just before he pulled his sword and plunged it through his former friend’s heart. Pulling the sword out, he then swiftly decapitated the man before taking his head and sitting on the desk facing the door. The body, he placed in the desk chair with the hands on the desk and positioned so it looked like he was reaching for his severed head.

Walking from the office, the pair left the way that they had entered. On the rooftop, they could hear the sound of sirens approaching. They moved quickly over to the other building and down to the SUV. Once inside, they removed their robes and shoved them into bags. Checking their faces and hair, they made sure that there was no blood visible and that they simply looked like another couple being driven through the city, dressed for a night out. They were two blocks away when the first police cars raced past their SUV. As they continued to drive away, Oliver couldn’t quite contain the smirk that came to his lips. He knew that the bloodbath that they had left behind, along with the work that the rest of his assassins were performing that night would make not just national news, but international news. And that those in the know would quickly realize that the League was just as powerful and just as brutal as ever.

December 19, 2015

Starling City

When she hung up the call, Nyssa placed the satellite phone onto the table and looked across at Sara. Her Beloved was already prepared for the night. What was surprising was the fact that Sin was as well. Sara had told her about the younger woman’s first time out and she agreed that it had gone well. However, she knew that this was a mission on another level and she did not believe that the young woman was ready for such a task.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer, your student is not ready for what we are about to do,” Nyssa said.

“To actively participate, no she is not. To watch and learn, though, might be of use to her,” Sara responded.

Nyssa thought about that. If the younger woman stayed at a distance, kept to the shadows and simply watched, she should be safe. And she might learn something about how the League operated which would be helpful if she did chose to join the League. Nyssa was certain that she would, but she hadn’t repeated her request. Granted, they had been busy since the transport carrying the League members had landed in Starling a few hours ago. Most of the team with her had used the time to sleep, so that they would be at their best when it came time to perform their duties. She, Sara and Artemis had gathered around the table with Salah to go over the map of the city.

Every Bratva holding had been labeled and ranked in order of importance, going from the large trucking depot that Sara and Sin had scouted out on down to the garage Alexi Leonov used to run the Bratva’s operations in the city out of. The smaller ones were going to get a visit from one assassin each, while the larger ones would get anywhere from two to eight in the case of the trucking depot. Once the smaller sites were taken care of, those assassins would be released to take out any Bratva members that hadn’t been accounted for at the businesses. Nyssa and Sara were certain there would be no more than a dozen at their homes, given that the night hours were the best for criminal activities such as those the Bratva profited from.

“Ta-er Aswad, you will accompany myself. You will go where I say and do only what I order you to do,” Nyssa told Sin.

“As you command, Nyssa al Ghul,” Sin said.

“We will be going to the trucking company that you and Ta-er al-Sahfer observed. Myself and Artemis will be providing cover with our bows for Sara and her team on the ground. Once the outside threat is eliminated, Artemis and I will join them inside. You will remain on the roof and observe. You will have one of our communications devices. If you see anything, alert us immediately while staying in the shadows.”

“I understand.”

“Sara told me that you did well the other night. This will be similar, only that some of the time you will be on your own,” Nyssa told her.

“You’ll be fine,” Sara said. “Just remember how we did things the other night. Stick to the shadows.”

Sin nodded. She wasn’t afraid, except of making Sara look bad. So, she would do what she was told to do and try to learn as much as she could. She was also thankful for Nyssa giving her this opportunity, knowing that she didn’t have to. Together, the trio went and collected their weapons, with Sin again taking another bo of Sara’s, broken down into batons. Sara had her bo, her bow and quiver and a full set of throwing knives as well. Nyssa, however, was the most heavily armed with her dozen knives, bow and quiver full of arrows, sword and a pair of batons as well.

When they were ready, they joined the other assassins in the main hall. There was no need for any speeches, they all knew why they were assembled. This was a task that the League had performed many times in the past and would continue to carry out many more times in the future. Who it was and where they were was irrelevant in the overall picture. What matter was that they would replace evil with death this night. The assembled assassins all knelt as Nyssa walked through their ranks, a mark of respect for the Bride of the Demon.

Outside, there were a host of SUVs waiting for them, subtly marked so that the groups could find their ride to locations near their targets. There were too many of them for all of them to be running across rooftops without someone potentially taking notice. At best, the police would be notified in that case. At worst, it might result in the Bratva being tipped off and scattering or being prepared for the fight to come. Yes, they were assassins and experts at stealth, but preparing for the worst made the worst less likely to happen.

Down by the docks, two SUVs dropped off Nyssa and her team. They moved quickly to the rooftops and proceeded to the building where Sara and Sin had had their observation post. Nyssa and Artemis exchanged a look and the archer moved to the next rooftop, then the one beyond that. This allowed them to cover the entire front of the building as well as the sides. Sara and the assassins that would go with her silently dropped down to the ground and got ready. They waited for a few minutes, so that they could get a feel for the guards patrol pattern, then Sara led them on a path that kept them to the shadows as they approached the building.

On the rooftop, Sin tried to follow them with her eyes, but quickly lost them in the shadows. Nyssa had no such problems, because she could anticipate where Sara would be. The pair had worked a number of similar missions together, so they instinctively knew where the other would be. Watching the Bratva men on guard duty, she was also ready with an arrow when one of them got too close. Artemis and the others took this to mean that they were free to open fire, as it were. In less than a minute, the outside guards were all down and the few innocent employees that had been outside were running away from the building.

At this point, they all knew the clock had truly started. Nyssa and Artemis both descended to the ground as well, while Sin remained on the rooftop watching in awe. The young woman wanted to be like them, to be with them. She knew that when she had the chance, she was going to talk with Sara and Nyssa again about actually joining the League and not just being trained like them. Doing things like this, stopping criminal organizations from destroying people’s lives, protecting the innocent by bringing violence to violent people, it just felt right to her.

Before Sin could think any further, she heard gunshots erupt from the building. It began as a flurry, before dying down to what sounded like one or two guns, then silence. Watching, she saw a stream of men and women running from the building in something close to a panic. Many of them were dressed only in their underwear with clear plastic ponchos over top of it. This struck the young woman as funny and she had to fight to stifle a chuckle at the picture, especially of the couple of men who were wearing now soiled tight-y, whiteys. Talk about scaring the crap out of them, she couldn’t help thinking mischievously.

When Sara, Nyssa and the others came out, they were running. Sin wondered why briefly, as she didn’t see any signs of pursuit or the sounds of more gunfire. Then, she got her answer as the building erupted into flames, followed shortly after by an explosion that felt like a punch had struck her to the young woman on the rooftop. The building still burned afterwards, but now part of it had also collapsed as well. So intent was her focus on the building, she didn’t notice Nyssa and Sara join her on the rooftop while the other moved across them towards where they had left the SUVs.

“We are done here, Ta-ae Aswad,” Nyssa told her, causing Sin to jump before whirling around to face them.

“What happened in there?” Sin asked.

“This was their main narcotics distribution center. We didn’t have time to really check, but from what we were able to see, there was cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and even some marijuana. So, we burned it and that explosion was from some of the chemicals they were using. That’s why once we started those fires, we ran to get out of there,” Sara told her.

“Based on the size of this building, I think they were processing the drugs here and then moving them to other cities to be sold. So this should significantly impact other criminal organizations beyond the one we are targeting tonight. Now, we should go before the police or fire departments show up to investigate.”

With that, Nyssa led the way back to the SUVs. Before she descended from the final rooftop, Sin took a quick look back. Even from here, she could see the light of the fire. She wondered how far that light would be seen and how far what it signified would reach. And even though she’d had no part in it other than to watch, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride in what had been done.

December 19, 2015

Starling City

Quentin Lance stood watching the firefighters continue fighting the blaze at the trucking depot. He and a handful of his officers were there because the first firemen on the scene had radioed in for police to respond as well. It wasn’t all that hard to see why, as several bodies were still laying where they’d been found. He grumbled to himself as he watched, knowing that a lot of useful evidence was being washed away by the water that was being dumped on the building. But, if they didn’t get those fires under control and keep them that way, there were a score of other buildings in the vicinity that might also go up in flames. Still, enough was enough, he thought.

“Collins, Garcia,” Quentin called out. “Get a couple of others and start processing those bodies. Work from the furthest out towards the building.”

“Got it, Captain,” one of the men called as they started to go forward.

“Captain Lance, I would not recommend doing that,” Chief Raynes said. “We’re still fighting this fire and I can’t be responsible for the safety of your officers.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, this is also an active homicide crime scene. We need to get as much evidence as we can, so we can start figuring out who is responsible.”

“Those arrows sticking out of them should be a fairly big clue, wouldn’t you say? I mean, I’m not a police officer or anything, but when I see dead bodies with arrows sticking out of them, I think our of city’s very own vigilante, don’t you?”

“Except he uses green arrows and those are, as near as I can see, red, yellow and black arrows. So, unless he’s decided to just use whatever, this looks like the work of more than one archer. See, its things like that that are the reason my men need to get in there and start gathering evidence,” Quentin told him, trying to keep a civil tone.

Chief Raynes had the good grace to step away at that, as there was really nothing he could say in response. Quentin turned back to the scene and watched as his men tried to gather as much evidence as they could. One of them was taking pictures while the other would take measurements. Once they had a body gone over as best they could under the circumstances, they would move on to the next and repeat the process. There was little point in looking for fibers, hairs or anything similar, as whatever the water hadn’t washed away was hopelessly contaminated.

Turning away, he looked at the crowd gathered behind the barriers. He wasn’t surprised to see a large number of lookie-loos, as this passed for high entertainment for the Glades. Certainly better than anything on TV at this hour of the morning, where the choice was either news programs or talk shows. A part of him wondered how many of these people might have been eye witnesses, not that any of them would be likely to tell him if they were. Especially if this was what he thought it was.

“Captain,” one of the officers calls out, holding up a police radio. Walking over, he took the handset from the young man.

“This is Lance,” Quentin said.

“Captain, we’ve got a problem. Police radio is blowing up. We’re getting 911 calls from all over the city, approximately thirty at last count. All reporting finding dead bodies,” the dispatcher reported.

“Call in all shifts, starting with the homicide detectives. Work on getting cars to every location, even if only to sit on the bodies until we can get an investigator on scene. Once you’ve done that, reach out to the county sheriff and see if there’s any way they can give us some backup. If they can’t, we’ll have to have the city’s leadership get in touch with the governor’s office.”

“I’ll get the calls started, Sir. But, you’ll need to be the one to escalate this.”

Quentin grimaced at that, because he had a feeling in his bones that they would have to escalate this. He doubted if there was a city in the United States that was equipped to handle a surge like this. And if all of these calls proved to be the real thing, rather than some clowns thinking that it would be funny to get the police spinning their wheels this morning, well, they didn’t have the manpower to cover something like this and protect the city as well. Maybe if it was all in one place, like a mass shooting or a train crash, they would be able to handle it.

Knowing what he had to do, Quentin took a moment to center himself. Then, he handed the radio microphone back to the officer and walked over to his unmarked car. Getting behind the wheel, he ignored the few reporters who shouted questions at him. There would be plenty of time for them later. Right now, he needed to do what it took to protect this city.

December 20, 2015

Starling City

Oliver walked down the escalator into the Starling City International Airport, Cheshire and three other assassins following behind him. Their flight from Moscow had landed in Ireland, where he and his party had gotten off the plane and been whisked through customs by officials of the Irish government. The League had aided the Irish government several times in the past and as long as they didn’t bring violence to their country, they were able to freely move men and arms through.

From Ireland, they had boarded a flight to London, then another to Starling City. Oliver had made sure that they flew first class on the flight from London, so that they could sleep. All told, they had been on the go for over forty-eight hours by the time the plane took off for Starling and even with assorted naps along the way, they were all in need of sleep. So, as soon as the plane had leveled out after take off, that is exactly what they had done. The flight was non stop and long enough that they could get about six to seven hours of sleep and still enjoy their meal.

When they had landed, Oliver had hung back so that the others could reach customs first. They were all traveling on foreign passports and would take a little longer. He was reentering the country on his own passport, so he should have few problems. Once he saw Cheshire get through, he stepped into line and was quickly up to an agent.

“Good evening. The purpose of your travel?” the agent asked.

“Personal,” Oliver told him, while the man looked through his passport.

“Anything to declare?”

“Nothing.”

“Welcome home, Mister Queen,” the agent said, handing back his passport.

“Thank you,” Oliver replied with a smile as he took his large suitcase with him. While on their layover in London, he’d availed himself of the airport shops and gotten a few things for Thea and the others. He would like go shopping for Christmas in the next day or so, but he’d wanted to be prepared just in case.

Walking on outside, he saw the others getting into a van. When the figure by the door turned, he smiled. Sin was the last person he had been expecting to see, but he was happy none the less. Where Sin was, usually Sara was close at hand. Going to the van, he looked the young woman over.

“It is good to see you, Sin,” Oliver said, noting a few people near them.

“You as well, Mister Queen,” Sin replied.

Getting into the van, he saw Salah was in the driver’s seat, while Sin took the front passenger seat. Once the doors were closed, he pulled away from the curb and into traffic. Only when they were on the road and at speed did Sin turn slightly in her seat. She handed back five small bags, one for each of the passengers.

“Complements of Nyssa. One burner phone and six knives each. She thought this would be less likely to be questioned in case we had an accident or something. The rest of your gear is at the hotel. The usual arrangements are in place for security, according to Nyssa.”

“Thank you, Ta-er Aswad. I see from your hands that Ta-er al-Sahfer has been taking care of your training.”

“She has, Ra’s. I’m enjoying it a lot. Nyssa even allowed me to accompany them yesterday, so that I might learn more. In fact, I asked if I could see you today, so I could make a request,” Sin said, somewhat shyly at the end.

“From that, I take it you came to a decision,” Oliver said. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I want to join the League, if you deem me worthy.”

Oliver looked her in the eyes, taking the full measure of the young woman. He was pleased to see that she didn’t back off or look away, she held his gaze openly. There was a little fear there, which he felt was a good thing. He was curious what she was afraid of. Was it him and the power he now held over her very life? Was it failure, that in not being accepted into the League, she would be failing not only herself, but Sara and even Nyssa as well? Or was it, as he suspected, a fear of being left alone once again? He knew bits and pieces of her story, enough to know she was an orphan and until Sara came along, had been on her own for several years.

“I will ask this one time. Are you quite certain this is what you want? This is the commitment of a lifetime and must be something you accept with your whole heart.”

“I am certain, Ra’s. I wish to join the League,” Sin said firmly.

“Then, Wing Ta Lao Wo Chey,” Oliver said.

“And that means what?”

“'The tale to be told begins thus'. It’s what Nyssa’s father told me when he asked me to join the League and be his heir. To him, it meant that he had already written out the path that my life would take. But to me, it means that you have taken the first steps on your new path, your path within the League. Once Ta-er al-Sahfer completes your training, she will bring you to Nanda Parbat where you will officially join the League. You will leave Sin behind and only be Ta-er Aswad.”

“Thank you, Ra’s,” Sin told him.

“Don’t thank me just yet. You still need to complete your training with Ta-er al-Sahfer. On the days when it gets tough, when you hurt more than you ever thought you could, I don’t want you to curse me or her or even yourself. I want you to remember that you chose this for yourself, because you want to be something more than you currently are,” Oliver told her.

By this time, the van was pulling into the garage of the Starling Grand hotel. When Salah pulled up near the elevators, Cheshire and one of the other assassins were the first ones out. The other two waited for Sin and Oliver to get out before forming up behind them, creating a protective box. The luggage would wait until they got him into the elevator, whereupon two of them would hang back and empty the van along with Salah.

The elevator arrived at the top floor and they all stepped out. Sin had room keys for the others, while Oliver already knew where he was going. Sara was standing in the doorway, a smile on her face that grew even bigger when she saw the one Sin was wearing. When Oliver stepped up to her, he opened his arms for a hug and kissed her cheek.

“You look well, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Oliver told her.

“I am, thank you, Ra’s,” Sara replied. “It is good to see you again.”

“And you as well, pretty bird.”

“I take it from Sin’s smile that you told her yes.”

“I did. Once she completes her training, you will bring her to Nanda Parbat,” Oliver said.

“I’m happy for her,” Sara said quietly. “Even if I’m also a little worried.”

“You, Nyssa and I will be there for her. I know you think of her like a sister,” Oliver said as he guided Sara and Sin into the suite. “Well, that makes her our family too. And this family takes care of each other, always.”

“Speaking of family, Husband,” Nyssa said. “I thought we might visit your sister this evening.”

“That sounds perfect. I do want to get cleaned up first, especially after that long flight.”

“And Sin and I will see you later, then.”

“I think not, Sara. You and Sin are coming with us. I figure with us just dropping in, it will probably be pizzas or some other take out and movies,” Oliver told them. “Now, which room is mine?”

Nyssa pointed and Oliver went into it, heading for the bathroom and a much needed shower. The water had barely been turned on when there was a knock at the suite door. Opening it, Sara found a member of the League with Oliver’s suitcase. She took it from him and carried it into his bedroom, laying it on the bed.

What no one in the hotel was aware of was that another person was also aware that Oliver was in Starling. Felicity had been on her way to see Ray when her phone chimed with an alert. Among the searches that the blonde IT genius had running was an active search of customs for any time Oliver Queen’s passport was scanned. Looking at the notice, she did a double take as she saw that it was for Starling and only an hour ago at that. Taking out her trusty tablet, she started a search of the CCTV camera in and around the airport, looking for pictures. She also started a search to see what flight he’d arrived on and where it had come from. The last thing she did before stepping into Ray’s office was send a text to the team, asking them to meet in the lair in an hour. She figured that would give her enough time to sit down with Ray about actual work and for her searches to produce some result.

Felicity was the first one in the lair, beating Dig by about ten minutes. During that time, she pulled up the results of her searches. She also thought about her feelings about Oliver being back. A part of her was happy that he had come back, but she had to wonder why now? Why not a month ago, when the team could have used his help with Waller and everything. Had he finally found whatever it was that he was searching for, or was there another reason for his return. And was this just a temporary thing or was he back permanently.

As Dig was arriving, he’d seen Laurel pulling into the lot as well. So, he’d slowed up so that the pair could go in together. They got out of their vehicles and walked over to where Felicity’s workstation was set up. They looked around for Thea, but didn’t see her. Felicity was also wondering where the young woman was, so she picked up her phone and called her. When no answer came, she hung up and tried again. Still nothing. She wasn’t too worried, considering that she could be somewhere that her phone had no signal or she had the ringer turned off for some reason. Besides, they could fill her in later.

“So, what’s going on?” Dig asked.

“Well, you know how I’ve been playing ‘Where in the world is Oliver Queen’? I found him today and you’ll never guess where,” Felicity said as she started bringing up the information.

“Is that…?”

“Starling City International Airport? Why, yes it is. Oliver flew in on a British Airways flight from London about two hours ago.”

“So, he’s back,” was all Dig had to say as he looked at the CCTV footage of Oliver passing through customs and being met at curbside by a van. “He’s certainly not trying to hide.”

“Since Roy took the fall for him, he doesn’t need to,” Laurel said with a grimace. “Even if there are a number of police officers who still think Oliver’s the Arrow, starting with my father.”

“I was able to track the van to the Starling Grand hotel, where it went into their parking garage. I’ve hacked into their registrations system and they have no record of him being a registered guest of the hotel. Other than the top floor of the hotel being closed, the entire hotel is booked,” Felicity said.

As Felicity said that, something started to ring in Dig’s mind. The top floor of a hotel being closed. Then he remembered from back in May. The top floor of the Essex hotel had been taken over by a Damien Darkh, the most bitter enemy of Nyssa’s father. Could Oliver be taking a page out of that playbook? And if so, was it a trap, like Damien had set, or was it actually where Oliver was staying.

“Frack, frack, frackity fracking frack.”

“What?” Dig and Laurel asked almost on top of one another.

“I’ve found who that floor is being rented to and everything is so much clearer now,” was all Felicity said as they all stared at the name on the monitor in front of her: Nyssa Raatko.


	21. Christmas at Ground Zero

December 20, 2015

Starling City

Thea stood in the living room of her loft, looking at the Christmas tree that she had just gotten set up. Knowing that Oliver and Nyssa were going to be visiting, she decided to go all out and make this like the holidays they remembered from when they were kids. So, she’d had a live tree delivered, she dug out the boxes of decorations that Oliver had saved for her from the mansion and she put on some Christmas music.

She’d been in the process of stringing lights when she’d thought she heard her phone ring. She couldn’t be sure over Burl Ives singing “Holly Jolly Christmas”, so she ignored it. Besides, she was on a ladder at the moment and trying to concentrate on getting the lights up to the top of the tree. Once that was done, she’d be able to start on the ornaments. She was going to leave the antique glass star for last. It didn’t take her too long to get the tree done after the lights, though it was a little longer than she expected as she’d stop on occasion and sing along to the songs she loved.

When the tree was decorated, she gathered up the boxes and went to put them back where they had come from. While she was doing that, her phone rang twice more. She was coming back when the second time ended. It didn’t ring again, so she decided that it wasn’t urgent and decided to carry on with her decorating. With the tree done, she moved on to hanging a wreath on the door to the balcony, as well as putting out a nativity scene by the fireplace.

Thea looked around after that and decided that was enough. She went into the kitchen and took out a bottle of red wine. Filling a glass, she went to the couch and settled back to enjoy the music and the fire. She soon lost herself in thought, wondering if she would have celebrated the holiday if not for Oliver saying he was coming to visit. She hadn’t the five years he’d been missing, nor the first year he’d been back despite the party he'd thrown for the family. The last two years, she’d celebrated but that was largely because of her big brother. If he had remained away, she wouldn’t have had much of anything to celebrate. More than likely, she’d have gone to Dig and Lyla’s for dinner, spent some time with little Sara and then gone back home. Noah had left for Las Vegas yesterday at the invitation of Donna. Donna hadn’t been able to take time off for the holidays, so she couldn’t come to Starling City. Yet, she knew Felicity would probably be working the entire time too, so having Noah come and visit her just made sense.

Thea was sipping on her wine when a knock came at the door. Getting up from the couch, she walked over to the door and opened it. Her face lit up when she saw her brother standing there, Nyssa, Sara and Sin grouped around him. Standing aside so they could enter, she pulled Oliver into a hug, one she never really wanted to let go of.

“It’s good to see you, Speedy,” Oliver told her as he returned her embrace.

“I’m so glad you came,” Thea replied.

“We told you we would. Unless there’s an absolute emergency, we’re all yours for the next week.”

“I know you said that, but with everything that’s been happening, I worried that you wouldn’t be able to.”

“Everything that’s been happening?” Oliver asked.

“Ollie, I know, alright. It was the League that eliminated the Bratva the other night,” Thea said, looking at them. “I just don’t know if all three of you were there when it happened.”

“Nyssa and Sara were in charge of the Starling City end. I was in Moscow, making sure that they wouldn’t be returning.”

“Do the others know?” Sara asked.

“I’m sure they suspect. Arrows aren’t that common and with Ollie gone, it’s either the League or Roy as the most likely culprits. They’d look at the League before thinking it was Roy.”

Oliver and Sara nodded at that. That fit with what they knew about Felicity, Dig and Laurel. In this case, they would also be absolutely right. But thinking that it was the League was a long way from proving it was the League or even that such a thing as the League of Assassins even existed. Besides, he was here to enjoy spending time with his sister and that was what he intended to so.

“So, I see dug out the decorations,” Oliver told her.

“Yeah. I figured since you’d be here, we could try to make it like the Christmases when we were kids. I did leave the star on top of the tree for you to do,” Thea told her.

“Where is it?”

“On the counter top, in its box.”

Oliver went and retrieved the star from its box, then carried it over to the tree. Taking a look, he realized that this was just a touch too far for him to safely reach. He definitely didn’t want to drop the star, which had been in the family for four generations. Thinking about it for a moment, he walked over to Nyssa.

“Come with me,” Oliver told her as he guided her over to tree and handed her the star. “You just need to get it on the point up top.”

With that, Oliver wrapped his hands around Nyssa’s waist and lifted her into the air. She was surprised, but also oddly touched. It seemed clear to her that this was something important, yet personal in the Queen family and here he was having her do the honors. It was just another way that Oliver showed her a degree of love she’d never gotten from another man in her life. She carefully placed the glass object and made sure it was secure. As Oliver went to lower her, a knock came at the door.

“Did you invite anyone?”

“No. I didn’t even know you were going to be here today,” Thea said as she walked back to the door. “You’d said the twentieth or twenty-first. My plan was to decorate and then relax for the rest of the day.”

Opening the door, she was surprised to see Felicity, Dig and Laurel standing there. She could count on one hand the number of times any of them had come to the loft since Oliver had left and still have a finger or two left over. When they did get together outside of the team, it was at Dig’s apartment. Yet, from the looks on their faces and the vibe she was getting, this didn’t seem to be a social call.

“Hey, what’s up.”

“We just found out that...” Felicity started to say as they came inside, only to see a sight that she was most definitely not expecting to see. Oliver, with his hands on Nyssa’s, in the act of lowering her to the ground. “What the frack?!?”

Oliver finished setting Nyssa back on her feet, then they both turned to face his former team. Laurel looked a little shocked, but also happy to see them. Felicity just looked stunned, as for once her seemingly automatic mouth was on shutdown. Dig, though, Dig just looked angry.

“So, you’re back,” Dig ground out.

“For a little while, yes. I wanted to spend the holidays with my family,” Oliver said, trying for a light tone.

“Then where? Back on your magical mystery tour? Or should we just cut the bullshit and be honest?”

“If you have something to say, just say it Dig.”

“You’ve been lying to us all. Lying to us for months. You haven’t been traveling, you’ve been a member of the League,” Dig spat out, looking at a man he’d once called friend. What was worse, however, was what he saw from the corner of his eye. He’d expected some kind of reaction from Thea, anger or disbelief or hurt. Not this smiling acceptance as she walked over to stand next to her brother.

“You knew, didn’t you Thea? How long have you known? Have you been a part of this, playing us, playing on our sympathies for you being left all alone and the whole time you knew exactly where Oliver was?”

“I’ve known since right after Waller was killed. Oliver was at the hotel when I took Sin to find Sara,” Thea replied. “And I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t my secret to tell.”

“So, while Felicity was wasting time and resources to track him down, you didn’t say anything? Time and resources, I might add, that we could have used for real problems here in Starling,” Dig said, his anger now focused on the young heiress.

“Like you’ve been doing that great of a job on the threats here in Starling,” Oliver said, a touch of anger creeping into his voice now.

“We’ve been trying, which is more than can be said of you.”

“You left, Oliver,” Felicity said. “Roy’s not here. It’s Dig, Laurel and Thea now and they’ve done the best they can. But how would you know? I mean, do they even have radio in Nanda Parbat? Or the internet? So, don’t come back here now and act like you know it all.”

“I left, because I had to. I knew it that night at Palmer Technologies. But it wasn’t to be a part of the League, it was to become the new Ra’s al Ghul.”

“Wait a minute. Did you just say that you’re the new Ra’s al Ghul?” Dig asked.

“Yes. Because Ra’s and Malcolm backed me into an impossible situation. I needed to join the League to save Thea’s life and stop what Nyssa’s father had planned for Starling City. I needed Malcolm’s help so that I could defeat Ra’s. The problem was that there are only two ways to leave the League, either you die or you are released by Ra’s al Ghul. Which meant that when I killed Ra’s, I had to become Ra’s or hand that power over to someone else,” Oliver told them.

“Malcolm Merlyn tried to use this to be made Ra’s himself,” Nyssa said. “His price for aiding my husband was that he hand over the ring after my father was defeated. But there was a trap built into this. If Merlyn did not release him, then he would still be bound to the League. I informed my husband of this after we survived the crash.”

“So, let me make sure I have this straight. Not only did you trust Malcolm Merlyn over us but you were also willing to hand over the League to a man who’s avowed mission in life is destroying the Glades and killing thousands of innocent people?”

“Well, like I told you that night, my plan was to sabotage the plane, killing Ra’s and destroying the virus. What would have come after that wasn’t my concern, because I would have died too.”

“And when that failed, then what? If Nyssa hadn’t warned you about what she suspected?” Felicity asked.

“What do you want me to say? In all likelihood, I would have honored the bargain I had made. I was so focused to protecting my sister and stopping Ra’s that I wasn’t considering...” Oliver said.

“You weren’t considering anything, other than what mattered to you. Your mission, your plan, your choices, yours, yours, yours,” Dig said. “You kidnapped my wife, endangered my daughter and would have killed us all if your vaccine plan hadn’t worked and for what? Because looking at you right now, I think you’re just another madman, no better than Malcolm Merlyn, leading a group of killers. And Thea, don’t come back to the lair. You’re off this team, because I can’t trust you.”

“You’re a hypocritical ass, you know that?” Thea said, glaring a Dig. “Or did you forget that your ex-wife works for the organization that kidnapped and held Felicity’s father hostage for nineteen fucking years? And you can say that was Waller’s doing all you want, but Lyla’s first reaction to finding him in Felicity’s office was to try and take him back to ARGUS.”

Oliver started to laugh at that, he just couldn’t help himself. How was Dig that ignorant of what ARGUS did? Maybe it was time to drop some truth bombs on his former friend, as well as the rest of his former team. Not just about ARGUS, but also what he had been doing the last seven months.

“Leave Lyla out of this. She’s not responsible for what happened and you know it.”

“Maybe not for that, but she had run Waller’s pet hit squad in the past. You know, the one Waller wanted to put the both of you on if you didn’t deliver me up on a silver platter. She’s also high enough up to know all the shady stuff that Waller was doing, especially to me. See, my third year away wasn’t spent on Lian Yu, it was in Hong Kong. ARGUS ‘rescued’ me in order to have a disposable, deniable asset. After all, nobody’s looking for you if you’re dead. I tried to escape, got as far as logging into my email before I was recaptured. Next thing I knew, I was sent out to kill someone. And as I was about to squeeze the trigger, my target turned and it was Tommy. See, I was no good to Waller if people were looking for me and Tommy was because I’d triggered an alert when I accessed my email,” Oliver said.

“After my handler and I managed to convince Tommy I wasn’t in Hong Kong and that it was a trap, a means to extort money from a wealthy American, Waller started my ‘training’. I learned how to track people, how to torture people for information, how to escape and evade. But most of all, I learned that everybody is expendable to Amanda Waller, even kids. See, my handler and his wife had a son, Akio. And he was killed because we couldn’t stop the release of the Alpha/Omega virus and he wasn’t vaccinated. When it was all over, I left and thought I’d gotten away until Waller found me again. She kidnapped me and dropped me back on Lian Yu for another mission of hers.”

“Is that why you beat her to death?” Laurel asked, speaking for the first time.

“Partly, it was. Partly, it was for threatening Dig, Lyla and baby Sara. But mainly, it was because I wanted her to suffer as she had made thousands of others suffer. To feel the pain that they must have felt as they were tortured for information. To know that there was no one coming to save her, just like there wasn’t for the agents she abandoned when they’d gotten her what she needed. I took my time with it too, telling her who or what each blow was for before I delivered it,” Oliver told her.

“You’ve truly turned into a monster, man,” Dig said, shaking his head sadly while Felicity looked sick. Neither of them could believe that this was Oliver. They’d thought that he’d seen that there was a better way to do things, that he didn’t need to kill everyone.

“No, I’m just no longer encumbered by the false morality that ‘killing is wrong, we’re better than them because we don’t do things like that’ that was coming from you and Felicity. I asked you both once, what had we really accomplished. All the people we put away got back out, the city was no better off and crime wasn’t down.”

“And I told you if you became Ra’s, then all the sacrifices you’d made and all the people you’d lost would have been for nothing. Guess that was right,” Felicity said.

“Perhaps, but I also look at all the good I’ve done as Ra’s. The scores of sex trafficking rings we've destroyed, the thousands of people we’ve saved from doing that alone. The sale of nuclear material to a terrorist group planning on making a dirty bomb, the destruction of the Bratva here in Starling and that group of armed thieves that we assisted you in stopping. Those are just a few of the things that the League has done in the last six months alone,” Oliver told them.

“And how many people have you had to murder to achieve that? And how many more will you kill in the coming years to keep your power?”

“A lot less than would have died if we had done nothing, Dig. But, since you’re so concerned about all the people that the League kills, I’ll make you a deal. Say the word and I’ll remove the League from Starling. We won’t return until the crime and corruption reaches a point that the city needs to be cleansed. The city will be your responsibility, yours, Felicity’s and Laurel’s.”

“Not mine,” Laurel, said causing all eyes to go to her. “I’m not saying I’m on Oliver’s side, just that I’m not on yours either. We were barely holding the line with you, me and Thea out there. We can’t do it, just the three of us and considering everything that’s going on between me and my father, I’ve been thinking about moving to Central City. Maybe, now’s the time.”

“You don’t mean that Laurel,” Felicity said. “This is your city, your home.”

“Is it, really? My father and I barely speak, I’m doing menial work in the District Attorney’s office, Tommy’s dead and Sara’s not going to be here either. Maybe, maybe I just need to get away from here and make a fresh start somewhere else.”

Laurel turned and walked out the door, leaving a startled collection of people with varying feelings about what had just happened. Sara was happy for her sister for several reasons, beginning with how toxic things seemed on former Team Arrow and that it was probably a good things that she got away from that. She also felt that her sister would be happier in Central City than she seemed to be here. Nyssa’s happiness was more on the fact that Laurel leaving upset both Dig and Felicity. While she had a respect for the blonde IT genius, she did not have the same for the so-called leader of this team. He was supposed to have been a soldier, yet seemed to not understand that in a war, there were casualties. Sin didn’t care much either way, since she wasn’t really involved.

Thea and Oliver were feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness. Laurel Lance had been a part of their lives for most of their lives. They were happy that she was leaving Starling City, because they knew things were only going to get worse here. They wished her happiness wherever she might go, because despite everything that had happened between Oliver and her when they were dating, she was still their friend. They were sad because with Laurel gone, the only thing left in Starling City for them to come back for was Walter. And Thea had heard that he was thinking about returning to England, so he might not be here much longer either. 

Felicity was mostly sad to see Laurel possibly leaving. They had had a rough start, but she had come to view the lawyer as a friend or as close to one as she’d had. She’d try to stay in touch, but would they really? Between their work schedules and everything else, she could sadly see things like calls or Skype getting pushed to the side until the day came that they had just drifted apart. Dig, on the other hand, was livid. He felt like this was all part of a plot by Oliver to cripple the team so that the League wouldn’t have to deal with them when the League operated in the city. That Oliver had come here solely for that purpose and was using his sister on behalf of that.

“I’ll talk to Ray, see if he’d be willing to help. And I’ll call Roy….”

“Good luck with that,” Thea said. “Because I doubt if he’d help you once he finds out Dig there kicked me off the team and the reason why. Not to mention, he’s still a fugitive according to the law, so I doubt he’s going to want to hang around Starling City any longer than he has to. All it would take is one cop getting lucky and he’s back in prison, where everybody thinks he’s the Arrow and there’s no way they’ll fall for the fake death again. But, you can try to explain why that shouldn’t matter, how you need him to step up and help save the city, all in the name of honoring a man he respects but whom you consider a murderer psycho on the level of Malcolm Merlyn.”

“Or, we could just release evidence that Oliver was the true Arrow and that he convinced Roy to take the fall for him,” Felicity said. “I’ve got plenty on the DVRs back at the lair.”

“Go ahead,” Oliver said with a smile. “Because those recording would also show you and Dig in most of them. So, if I go on trial, neither of you would be far behind. Assuming that they could hold me long enough, that is.”

“Or, we could offer to give additional evidence against you. I’m sure an ambitious ADA would jump at the chance to be the one who put the Arrow away,” Dig said.

“If I’m the man you think I am, then what would stop me from making sure that neither of you lived long enough to make good on that threat.”

Felicity froze at that, because she’d heard that tone of voice before, just never directed at her. It was the voice of the Hood, used when he was confronting the Dark Archer. A tone of voice that said that he intended to make good on what he’d just told them. It also had her questioning every decision she had made since the moment she had met Oliver Queen. Taking him to the foundry instead of a hospital when she found him in the back of her car with a gun shot wound being her first major mistake. Joining his crusade, even if it was provisionally at first, was her second. Even getting involved with Cooper didn’t rank up near either of those. To this day she couldn’t definitively say why she’d done either of those things. Mainly, she blamed it on her desire to fix broken things. Plus the fact that Oliver Queen was ridiculously hot, like four alarm fire kinda hot and the fact that he had needed her help just made her a little giddy. So, she’d helped and slowly gotten sucked in, to the point that here she was, now having that same man threaten her life.

“Now, if there is nothing else, I’m here to spend time with my sister, not either of you. The door’s behind you, show yourselves out,” Oliver said, his tone colder than an Arctic winter.

Felicity and Dig turned and walked out. The others just stood there watching them leave, as Oliver went over and locked the door. When he turned back around, he was shaking his head in disbelief.

“So, I guess I’ll have a lot more free time now,” Thea said, trying to joke about being kicked off the team but her tone didn’t match her words. The team had given her life a sense of purpose, something she hadn’t really had before. She was going to miss that, as well as helping people by being Red Arrow, as she preferred to think of herself. Speedy was only for special people and after what had happened, she found herself regretting letting them call her that. The way they’d turned on her brother and her showed her exactly what kind of people they were.

“Well, you’re always welcome to hang out with me and Sin,” Sara said, a twinkle in her eye. One that Oliver noted and disapproved of. He was definitely going to talk to Sara before she put any ideas like the ones he suspected she was having into his sister’s head.

“Yes, that might be a good idea,” Nyssa chimed him, having seen the look that crossed her husband’s face and thoroughly disagreeing with it. Because, while she might not wish her sister-in-law to join the League, she did desire for the young woman to be stronger, better able to take care of herself. Sara could help her with that, just as she had been helping Sin. And if Thea should wish to join the League, as long as she made an informed decision, it was her life and she was an adult.

“I’d like that a lot. Now, enough with all the drama. I say we order up some pizzas and get this party started with a good Christmas movie.”

“That sounds great to me, Speedy,” Oliver said as he put his arm around his sister and hugged her to him.

Thea leaned into it for a moment, then pulled away so that she could get her phone. A brief discussion was had regarding toppings and sizes before the group came to a consensus of three large pizzas, one meat lover’s, one Supreme and one Hawaiian. The Hawaiian was at the request of Sara and Nyssa, or mostly Sara with Nyssa agreeing, supporting her Beloved after seeing Thea’s look of disgust at the thought of Pineapple on a pizza. This led to some teasing comments about what were and weren’t acceptable toppings for pizzas before they moved on to selecting a pair of movies for the evening.

There was a large selection of movies for them to choose from. They finally decided on keeping it non-serious and ended up settling on three, since two of them were really TV specials and therefore fairly short. First would be ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’, follow by ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and lastly ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’. The last one had been chosen when Nyssa had looked at it and expressed confusion over what a Muppet was. As soon as she made the remark, the others knew they had to watch it, if only to introduce the Bride of the Demon to the wonders of Jim Henson’s creations.

By the time the pizzas arrived, they’d almost finished the first movie. They elected to pause it so that everyone could fill a plate and grab something to drink. When they were all settled back in front of the television, Thea started it playing again. After that, it was something of a free-for-all as far as people going back for more. Nyssa and Sara had been especially enterprising. Since no one else wanted the Hawaiian pizza and they were sitting next to each other, they simply brought the box with them and placed in on the coffee table. That had led Oliver to grab the other pizzas and bring them over as well, only to find that there was no convenient way to arrange them there and therefore, it was best to return them to the kitchen counter.

When the last of the movies was over, it was late but nobody wanted to be the first to leave. They were all enjoying their time together. Nyssa especially was surprised at how much fun this had been. She’d never experienced a Christmas really, though she and Sara had exchanged gifts. But this, this was normal, something she’d never expected to experience. She looked forward to what the rest of the week would contain. It was only when the clock struck midnight that the guest decided they should leave, but not before they all shared a round of hugs and made plans for getting together during the day. They called Salah, who came with the van and picked them up. Sara and Sin were dropped off at their apartment first, then Oliver and Nyssa were taken to the hotel.


	22. Fallout

December 20, 2015

Starling City

After they had left the loft, neither Dig nor Felicity had said anything on their way down to the van. Both were trying to process what had just happened and how badly shattered things were. The fact that Oliver had matter of factly told them that he would kill them before allowing them to give evidence against them, well that was just the cherry on top of the shit sundae that today had been. They hadn’t gone over to Thea’s planning to confront Oliver. They had hoped to talk to him, to find a way to get him away from the League.

Seeing him with Nyssa, especially to see him holding her up like he had been when they walked in. It had been shocking, like something from one of those Hallmark movies her mother likes to watch. It had also, thinking back on it, pointed to the fact that Oliver was happy. Felicity had clearly seen the smile on his face, as well as the joy on Nyssa’s, which had surprised her since she didn’t think the assassin was capable of an emotion like joy.

Now, as they pulled into the garage of the Arrow lair, she looked over at Dig. He was tense, his body almost throbbing with barely contained anger. She hated this, she thought as she got out of the van and walked over to her workstation. She collapsed into the chair, feeling as if all her strength had finally evaporated. She heard Dig walk over and stand across from her.

“I’m gonna ask it, just to ask it,” Felicity said, looking up at Dig. “We’re not getting them back, are we?”

“No, we’re not,” Dig told her. “And even if they wanted to come back, I don’t think I could work with them ever again.”

“Even Laurel?”

“Laurel made her choice, Felicity. I think things with her dad are still tense, but we’ve been using her as our go-between with him. Then you add in the fact her sister is back, but a member of the League. Maybe, maybe she was thinking about leaving the team before. But tonight, it just crystallized for her, that she would be stuck in the middle again. So, she decided to do what is best for herself. I don’t know. I just know that we need to respect her choice.”

“So, what do we do now?” Felicity asked. “Because we, we can’t do this alone. And I know I said I’d talk to Ray and Roy, but I can already tell you Ray’s answer. He, we came close to dying in Nanda Parbat and he’s not ready to be in a situation like that again. If it was a one time, the world is ending thing, then maybe. But not as a permanent part of the team. As for Roy….”

“As for Roy what, Felicity?” Dig asked.

“I think Thea was right. I think that asking him to rejoin the team, especially considering if he gets caught, it’s an immediate return to prison, plus charges for his escape which would mean even more years behind bars. And I know this isn’t want you want to hear, but he’s our friend, first and foremost. This is his chance to be free and maybe we’re being selfish if we ask him to give that up.”

“You’re right, that wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Because, without them, this, this is done. Oliver tried before he brought me in and I know he got close to being caught or killed several time. I can’t risk that. I’ve got Lyla and Sara to think about. I saw how hard it was for Carly after Andy died, trying to raise Andy Junior on her own. I can’t do that to Lyla.”

Felicity couldn’t think of a thing to say to that, because she agreed with everything he’d just said. Still, she couldn’t help the sadness that washed over her. This was the end and taking everything into consideration, all she could think was that they had failed this city. So, she took Dig’s hand and gave it a squeeze before just holding it. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Dig broke away and walked over to one of the medical carts. Opening a drawer, he removed a bottle and two small glasses, which he carried over to the desk. Filling the glasses emptied the bottle, he saw with a small smile. Seemed kind of appropriate, if you asked him.

“What are we drinking to?” Felicity asked.

“Prochnost. It’s Russian for strength,” Dig told her, sliding a glass over. “Seems as good a toast as any.”

“I think to us is better. You’re my brother, John.”

“I know, little sister.”

Tapping the glasses together, they drank the vodka down, though Felicity coughed a little as she did so. Neither of them spoke, each lost in their own memories. And even though they were looking at the new lair, in their minds it was the foundry basement that they were seeing. Back to a time before Oliver had made a deal with the devil, before people were enhanced with a Japanese super soldier serum. Back when it was just the three of them and the Dark Archer was the scariest thing out there.

Eventually, Dig shook his head and sighed. Wrapping an arm around Felicity, he gave her a hug.

“I’ll see you later,” Dig told her.

“Yeah, see you later, Dig.”

When Dig had left, Felicity just sat there and looked at the monitors for the longest time. Then, she did something that she’d never done. She logged into the system and executed a system shutdown. She watched as the system went through the process and waited until only the monitors were still powered on. She then pushed the buttons on them to turn them off, before getting up and taking one last look around. Walking over to the exit, she stopped at the electrical panel and threw the master breaker, shutting down the entire level. Then she got in the elevator and headed up to Ray’s apartment.

December 21, 2015

Starling City

Thea grumbled as she rolled out of bed, the knocking on the door just would not go away. Looking at the clock on the bedside table, she cursed a little when she saw it was only seven in the morning. She was plotting murder and mayhem in her mind as she pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a loose top, then walked down the stairs and opened the door. A part of her had expected it to be Oliver, not Sara and Sin. Both women were looking at her with grins as they walked past her into the loft.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?” Thea asked as she watched them take seats at the breakfast bar after they deposited a white paper bag and a tray of drinks. Coffee from Jitters if her nose wasn’t mistaken.

“Well, I mentioned training last night and you were interested, so we came to pick you up,” Sara said as she opened the bag and pulled out a blueberry muffin. “So, grab a coffee and muffin. We’ll eat this quickly and then head out.”

Thea and Sin each made a grab for the bag, which Sin won and therefore got the next muffin. Thea took the last one and unwrapped it. As Sara had said, it was quick and then they were up and on their way. When they went outside, Thea saw that there was a van waiting for them. Sara got into the front passenger seat, while Sin and Thea took the back.

“Thea, this is Salah. Salah, this is Ra’s sister, Thea.”

“Nice to meet you, Salah,” Thea said.

“And you as well, my lady,” Salah said, not taking his eyes from the road as he drove, as well as scanned for possible threats. “Nyssa and Ra’s will be waiting for us outside their hotel.”

The drive to the hotel was short, with Salah pulling the van under the overhang and waiting. Oliver and Nyssa came out a moment later, looking more ready for a day of shopping than exercise. Oliver was carrying a small bag with gym clothes in it for both of them, but they had decided to wear better clothes. After the training session, they would be going shopping and then to the Starling City Zoo for their Christmas lights display.

“Good morning,” Oliver said as he got in the van. He squeezed past Sin and settled into the rear-most seat. Nyssa joined him.

“Morning, Ollie,” Thea said, drawing a grin from Sara and Nyssa along with a somewhat shocked look from Salah. “Nyssa, it’s good to see you again.”

“And you as well, sister-in-law. I see you accepted our invitation to train you,” Nyssa said.

“Definitely. I’m looking forward to it, especially in something other than archery. No offense, Ollie, but I need more than that if I’m going to be good.”

“It should not offend him, Thea. In fact, he should be and is proud of you for wanting to excel at something.”

“And Sara’s a really good trainer, Thea. I’ve learned a lot from her in just a couple of weeks,” Sin said with a grin. “I mean, it was really hard and painful at first, but every day it got a little less so because I was able to do more.”

“Don’t worry, Thea,” Sara told her. “We’ll use today to see where you are and go from there.”

“And while you are working with her, I will work with Ta-er Aswad,” Nyssa told them, smiling as she saw the younger woman start. “It will be fine, I just want to see how well you are doing and offer you some pointers.”

“Now, we just need to figure out what Ollie will be doing while we do all the work,” Thea put out there.

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

The other ladies laughed at the knowing smirk that Sara shot at Oliver. Salah was shocked at this behavior, so used as he was to the previous Ra’s al Ghul. Nyssa’s father would definitely not have approved, thinking that this was not proper behavior for not just the Demon’s Head, but any assassin. As the drive went on, though, Salah found this to be more enjoyable than the usually silence filled rides he normally took.

When the van arrived at the safe house, they pulled into the garage and parked while Oliver and the ladies got out. Then Salah left, with Nyssa telling him that they would call when they were ready to leave. The group made their way upstairs, where they found Roy sound asleep on the couch, still dressed in the Arrow costume. Sara, Sin and Nyssa went into the bedroom to change, while Thea and Oliver just looked at Roy for a moment before Thea walked over to him. Pressing a kiss to his lips, she waited for his eyes to open.

“Morning,” Roy said, still half asleep. It took him a moment for his mind to catch up, then he jerked to his feet. “Thea, what are you doing here? How do you even know where this is?”

“We brought her,” Oliver said from behind him, a smile on his face as he took in his former protege. “How are you, Roy?”

“Oliver, man am I glad to see you. I’m good, still trying to figure out what’s next. For now, I go out and try to help where I can.”

“Well, if you’re hoping for Felicity to come up with a new identity for you, I wouldn’t count on it,” Thea said, a touch of bitterness in her voice.

“What happened, Thea?”

“The team is pretty well done. They found out last night about Ollie being Ra’s and it didn’t go well. Especially when Dig found out I had known and didn’t tell them. He threw me off the team, basically said I was a spy for the League. I mean, never mind that Laurel was close to Nyssa or that Sara helped us while being a member of the League. Those weren’t problems, but me honoring my brother’s wishes and keeping his secret was.”

“And Felicity agreed with this?” Roy asked.

“I wouldn’t say agreed, so much as didn’t argue against it. They were more focused on Darth Oliver, this was just a bump in the road to getting him to turn from the dark side,” Thea said.

“Damn. I mean, I have just never got it. How do two rational people continue to make irrational decisions when it comes to you, Oliver. The team was your team, until you did something one of them didn’t like and then it wasn’t. I mean, I hated that you were working with Malcolm Merlyn, but I trusted you enough that you had a plan, a reason, even if we didn’t know it or see it yet. I just never understood why they couldn’t.”

“So, yeah. If you go to Felicity for a new identity, she’s going to ask to you stay and rejoin the team. Especially after Laurel quit when the battle lines were being drawn. She’s not on Team League, though. More like on Team Laurel. She’s moving to Central City and starting over.”

“Which will be good for my sister,” Sara said as she came out of the bedroom.

“We’ll figure something else out,” Roy told Thea.

“Corto Maltese,” Oliver said. “Malcolm’s house is still there and you inherited it, Thea. The only thing will be getting Roy from here to there. We’ll need paperwork for that.”

“Al-Qarasina should be able to handle that,” Nyssa told him. “Perhaps, even come up with a way for him to return one day. We will ask her.”

“Who is al-Qarasina?” Thea asked.

“She’s the League’s Felicity. Just without the moral high horse that Miss Smoak has a fondness for perching on.”

“Enough chitchat, we need to be training. I’ll take Thea, Nyssa has Sin which leaves Oliver and Roy. So, come on.”

With that edict from Sara, the women all headed downstairs while Roy and Oliver scrambled to get changed and follow them. When they got down there, they saw Sara and Thea sparring on one set of mats while Nyssa and Sin were doing the same on another set. Not wanting to get distracted, they each grabbed a pair of escrima sticks and went to work. Oliver was impressed, seeing how Roy had improved since he’d last seen him. When he tried one move, Oliver knew that he’d been paying attention while Sara was training him, as that was a move the blonde assassin was fond of.

Over on the mats, Sara was also finding herself impressed. Thea was better than she thought she’d be, obviously due to the training she’d undergone at the hands of Malcolm Merlyn. Still, she could see room for improvements and more advanced training. So, she started picking up the pace, pushing the younger woman. Thea responded to the challenge, calling on everything she’d learned already to try and slip inside Sara’s guard and land a blow. She finally found what she thought was an opening, only to find herself flat on her back. Still, she didn’t let that slow her down, as she tried to sweep Sara’s legs out from under her before flipping herself back onto her feet.

Nyssa and Sin were going a little slower, with Sin instigating the attacks and Nyssa both defending as well as assessing the skill that she was showing. She knew that the younger woman was not yet ready to join the League, but she was showing a definite talent. So, with that in mind, she started to pick up the pace as well as launch attacks of her own. Next, Nyssa started adding in things that she believed Sin could use, teaching her various attack combinations as well as kicks and tosses.

Eventually, Oliver called a break so that they could switch opponents. Oliver wanted a chance to measure how well Sin was doing and felt that Roy could benefit from Nyssa teaching him as well. Sara would continue working with Thea. Sin eyed Oliver cautiously when he faced off against her, as she had never faced someone as big as he was. This was why Oliver had suggested this and why he made the first move, throwing a strike at her. Sin nimbly dodged out of the way, as well as the next two strikes.

“Good, Ta-er Aswad,” Oliver told her. “Use your speed and agility to buy space. But be careful not to get back into a corner. When you do strike, aim for my lower body.”

Sin listened and watched. On his next attack, Oliver left his legs vulnerable and let her strike. It was a solid blow to his thigh.

“Good. In a real fight, though, aim for the knees. If you take his knees out, now he’s your size and you can aim for his eyes, throat, arms and hands.”

“That sounds harsh,” Sin said, before thinking it through. “But, I guess they’d do worse to me.”

“Indeed they would and that is something you should never forget. If you let them, they will try to do much worse to you,” Oliver told her.

They continued on like that, as Oliver helped her learn how to take down a bigger opponent. Once she had the basics, he moved them to more open sparring. Now, he wasn’t giving her openings, rather he was forcing her to find or make her own. Because of this, she was also learning to be more patient, not forcing things as much as watching, waiting and then striking. He held back, because this was all about Sin learning, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t getting a decent workout as well. Just not the same type that he would have gotten if it had been Nyssa or Sara that he was sparring against.

When they were finally done, Oliver looked over at the others. Nyssa and Roy were talking, while Thea and Sara were laughing quietly about something and Sin was going over to join them. So, he just stood there for a moment, enjoying this. Seeing happiness on his sister’s face, he just wants to freeze this moment and hold on to it as long as he can. Because he knows, the path he’s chosen won’t allow for as many of these as he might wish.

December 21, 2015

Starling City

Laurel looked around the living room of her apartment and sighed. She’d woken up that morning and gone out to buy packing boxes. What she was looking at now was the results of several hours of concerted effort. She’d already taken care of the kitchen, not that she used it that much. She hadn’t needed either Ollie or Tommy’s whispered opinions to know that she couldn’t cook to save her life. That’s why there was a large stack of takeout menus in one of her kitchen drawers.

When she’d had the kitchen done, she’d moved on to the living room. Dismantling her candle fireplace had taken the most time. She’s blown the candles out that morning, so that they would be cool by the time she went to pack them away. Now, they occupied three boxes, including one for the metal framework. She’d also gotten her pictures put away, all but one of them. It was the one with the most meaning, at least to her, showing her and her sister next to the bird cage holding Sara’s canary. Even when she’d been at her lowest, filled with hatred for Oliver and Sara and what they had done, she’d never been able to put that picture away. She’d held onto it and the memories that it carried as tightly as she could, trying to remember the sound of her voice, her laugh, everything that made Sara who she was.

Seeing her yesterday, standing with Ollie and looking so at peace, had been hard. She’d had two chances at happiness and watched both of them be snatched away from her. She didn’t begrudge Sara finding some for herself, she just wished an uncaring universe would let her do the same. That’s when she’d known that the only way for that to possibly happen would be if she left town. Starling held too many bad memories for her. Memories she’d tried to bury in pills and a bottle, in the Canary and taking our her demons on the city’s criminals. Before she could truly be free to have that new start, she would need to finally lay those memories to rest.

Laurel had already spoken with her mother and arranged to stay there for the time being. Finding an apartment was priority number two on her list, with finding a job being first. She also called a storage company when she’d stopped for lunch and rented a unit that should be big enough for everything. Her winter clothes would make the trip to her mother’s, while everything else went into storage until she found her own place.

Finished with as much of the living room as she planned to do at present, Laurel made quick work out of her guest bedroom. Her plan at present was to spend Christmas here and maybe see her father. At the very least, she needed to let him know she was leaving the city. Given where their relationship currently was, she doubted if he would care too much but he was still her father. And after everything that happened with Sara, she wouldn’t just disappear on him too.

Having done as much as she intended to today, she went to the kitchen and found a menu for pizza. She ordered a large with everything, figuring whatever she didn’t eat tonight would be lunch tomorrow. She then took out her laptop and started looking for jobs in Central City. She’d have to take the bar exam before she could practice as a lawyer, if she decided that’s what she wanted to do. A part of her did, she’d enjoyed her time at CNRI, helping people get some measure of justice. But she’d also seen how ineffective the law could be and she wondered if she wanted to go back to that system. So, she ended up just staring at the screen while her mind debated what direction it wanted to go. Even when the pizza arrived, she was still locked in her own mind, going over various pros and cons of various ideas for the future. She ended up falling asleep on the couch, the half finished pizza still sitting on the coffee table next to a glass of diet Coke.

December 21, 2015

Starling City

Al-Qarasina sat in front of her workstation, fingers flying across the keyboards as she entered various commands and queries. It was part of her daily routine now, accessing the system for Team Arrow, finding out what they’d learned about Ra’s as well as crime in the city. Except today, she wasn’t able to get in. At first, she’d thought it was a new firewall blocking her, that somehow the technical person on the team had deduced they were being hacked and taken measures to stop her. She’s tried a few tricks and when those had failed, she’d taken a step back and examined what was happening. When she did so, she reached a somewhat shocking conclusion, that she wasn’t able to hack in because the system wasn’t online.

Getting up from her workstation, she walked into the kitchen and filled a large mug with coffee. Taking a sip, she pondered what that could mean. Because, as long as she’d been here, that system had never been entirely offline except when she’d taken it down with her attack. It was always there, scanning, searching, seeking knowledge. She couldn’t think of a reason for this to suddenly stop that was good. She took another sip, letting the warmth seep inside of her. Even in jeans and a sweatshirt, the house was cool and a little drafty.

She was walking back to her workstation when the front door opened. She was not surprised to see Salah, as he was responsible for keeping an eye on her. It was the man who followed him that did surprise her, as she bowed her head and waited for her orders.

“Good morning, al-Qarasina,” Oliver said as he walked into her work area. “Please sit down.”

“Good morning, my lord. How may I serve you today?” al-Qarasina asked.

Oliver looked at the woman, again struck by how much she looked like Felicity. Oh, there were differences to be sure, but the similarities were all too easy to see. He wondered again if that was why he’d chosen to spare her and not just that the League could make use of her talents. That the thought of killing her felt too much like killing Felicity, which was a line he knew he’d never cross.

“I have an assignment for you. I need a complete new identity for someone, one good enough to stand all but the most comprehensive background screening.”

“The difficult I can do immediately, the impossible may take a little longer. I’ll assume you want identification cards, valid social security number, credit history?”

“Everything he could possibly need,” Oliver told her with a smile.

“Give me a few days and I should have it ready. I will need him to come by for photos for the IDs,” al-Qarasina replied

With that, she turned to her computer and began. She asked Oliver a series of questions about the person she was creating the identity for, just things that she would need so she could make what she created fit the person it was for. Once she had that, she began hacking her way through a whole host of government agencies, building the necessary files and forms within the system.

Seeing that she was falling into the zone and knowing full well what it meant from having been around Felicity, Oliver stood. He and Salah left the building quietly, walking out to the van. Salah would take him to his hotel, then return here with some dinner for al-Qarasina. Oliver planned to enjoy another evening with his sister, this time they would gather at the hotel for dinner and then go out to the Starling City Zoo where there was a Christmas lights display.


	23. Decisions, decisions

December 23, 2015

Nanda Parbat

A pair of people walked out of the valley that led to the approach to Nanda Parbat. Both were so bundled in winter clothing that it was impossible to discern much beyond that they were both adults. One carried a large pack over their shoulders, while the other was unencumbered. Before they were able to go much further, they found themselves surrounded by a host of assassins. The person who was carrying nothing seemed unbothered by this, while their counterpart had practically jumped out of their skin when the black clad figures appeared from seemingly nowhere.

“What brings you here?” one of the assassins asked.

“I’m here to see Ra’s al Ghul. I was send by Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Helena Bertinelli said, as she pushed back her hood.

“You will have to wait, I’m afraid. My lord is not here.”

“Do I need to come back, then?”

“No, Miss Bertinelli. Once you have come here, you stay here until Ra’s al Ghul has seen fit to judge you,” the assassin told her. “Come, I will show you to a room.”

The person who had accompanied her turned and began the trek back to their village. This task was one he’d performed since he was a young man and one he would eventually hand over to his son, just as his father had to him all those years before. This was how they served the League, by being a guide and guardian to the League. Being trusted to misguide those who were not seeking to serve the League, but rather to locate it so that others could then attempt to destroy it. The man had personally stopped three agents of HIVE and an ARGUS attempt to plant a spy within the League.

Helena followed the man who had spoken to her down the path towards what looked like a large temple carved into the mountainside. She noticed that the others had surrounded her, making it so that she could only go in that direction. At this, she was beginning to understand what the woman, Ta-er al-Sahfer, had meant when she’d told her to consider her choice wisely. It had taken her a day to fly here from Starling City, after she spent five days weighing her options. When she’d begun on this path, it had been to get revenge on her father for killing Michael and all of her anger had blinded her. Only when he had been killed did that lessen somewhat. She’d escaped from SCPD custody and left Starling, making the decision to hunt down the rest of the Bertinelli crime family.

Her fight had taken her to Gotham, where she’d finished the family once and for all. She’d also run across the city’s resident vigilante, who’d made it plain that she wasn’t welcome. She’d managed to escape by the skin of her teeth and vowed she’d not return to Gotham any time soon. She hadn’t planned to return to Starling either, until she’d been in Coast City and seen what was happening there. She’d targeted the organized crime families there, finding out that they had come there from Starling because the Bratva was muscling everybody else out of town. So, she’d headed home to look into the threat and run into the League of Assassins. She’d heard enough about them from her father and others, always spoken of with a measure of respect uncommon for men such as them, that she knew she was lucky to have been able to walk away. She certainly hadn’t been expecting an offer to join them, if she was deemed worthy.

The walk through the fortress took some time. When they had first come inside, most of the other assassins had departed, leaving only a trio with her as they proceeded further. What she didn’t notice was that there were others watching the procession from the shadows. Eventually, they came to a doorway and the assassin who had greeted her opened it, showing her into a rather spartan room. There was a double bed, dresser, a pair of wooden chairs and a small table. A small brazer was in the corner, providing both warmth and light to the room. The man waited until she had gone inside and followed her, while the other two assassins waiting just outside the doorway.

“This will be your room. Your meals will be brought to you. Until you have been judged by Ra’s, the rest of the fortress except the library is off-limits to you,” Navid said.

“Thank you,” Helena said. “I think I’ll rest. The journey was longer than I expected.”

“As you wish.”

With that, Navid left the room and she could hear the sound of a lock being engaged. Shrugging her shoulders, Helena set to work emptying her pack. She put the clothes into the dresser, then checked the pair of doors she had noticed. One was to a small closet, the other went to a bathroom. After a moment of debate, she decided to take a quick shower and hope that the water was hot enough to get rid of some of the chill she felt from the long hike.

While Helena was getting settled in, Navid walked to the League’s communication center. He needed to inform Ra’s of the newest potential recruit. She had claimed to have been sent by Nyssa’s Beloved, which was something that was guaranteed to get his lord’s attention. Whether that was good or not was not something Navid was prepared to speculate about.

December 23, 2015

Starling City

Oliver put the phone away, unable to hide the dark look that was on his face. Why had Sara sent Helena Bertinelli to the League and more importantly, why hadn’t she told him that she had done so? She knew that he had failed with the former Mafia princess when he tried to get her to abandon the path that she was on. So why did she think he would succeed now where he had failed before? Or was she using this as a means of getting revenge on Helena for what she had done to Laurel? He didn’t know and making guesses like he was doing wasn’t the answer. So, he decided on the direct route and looked over at where Sara sat talking with the others.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer, Nyssa, I need to speak with you,” Oliver said, the harshness in his voice getting looks from them as well as Roy, Thea and Sin.

“What did you do, Sara?” Sin asked softly.

“Must be something pretty bad to get the Hood voice,” Roy said helpfully.

The pair followed Oliver downstairs while the others got back to finishing their after training lunch. Walking into the middle of the garage, he stopped by one of the training mats and looked at Sara. It wasn’t Ollie looking at Sara, this was Ra’s looking at Ta-er al-Sahfer and Ra’s did not look happy. Nyssa knew her role in this, as she came to stand beside her husband and facing her Beloved, feeling more like she was caught in the middle no matter where she stood.

“Is there something you failed to tell me?” Oliver asked.

“If there is, I am not aware of it,” Sara told him.

“Then, I will have to remind you. Helena Bertinelli.”

“Oh, shit. She actually did it?”

“By did it, you mean accept your offer to potentially join the League? Because Navid just called saying that she was in Nanda Parbat seeking an audience with Ra’s al Ghul and that she had been sent by you. Seeing the look on your face, I know you made the offer, my only question is why?” Oliver asked.

“I know that you failed with her when you tried to train her, but that was because you were trying to change her more than you were trying to train her. When I looked at her, I saw somebody who I think could be an asset to the League, with the proper training. Training by somebody who wants to harness her aggression, not suppress it. Somebody who can show her that her way is too messy and that she lacks refinement. Someone like Nyssa or Cheshire, perhaps,” Sara told him.

“And our history had nothing to do with this?”

“Which history? The part where she held my sister and a score of other people hostage in an attempt to murder her own father? Or the part where you actually slept with her while trying to train her, which I have to say is an interesting motivational technique.”

“Jealous?” Oliver asked with a smirk, his temper having receded.

“Not hardly. Hell, I knew before the Gambit how you were when it came to women and from what I understand, that didn’t change after you came back. I mean, there was Helena, McKenna, Laurel, Isabele and me. Just a question, but except for Felicity, was there a woman who crossed your path for more than five minutes that you didn’t try to screw?” Sara asked with a grin. “Maybe Nyssa, but that’s because she’d have tried to feed you your balls if you’d made a move.”

“Funny, Sara. And for the record, McKenna and I never went there.”

“As entertaining as this is, we have gotten off the topic. What do you wish to do about Miss Bertinelli?” Nyssa asked.

“My first reaction is to reject her. But, I don’t know if that is the rational part of me making that decision or my emotions telling me that she’s betrayed me before, that she’s hurt people I care about in her quest for vengeance. So, I will let her sit while I consider whether I can look past my history with her and see what Sara has seen,” Oliver told her, his eyes taking on a distant look.

“What are you thinking, Husband?”

“An idea, one that I need to think about more before I go further with it.”

Nyssa remained silent at that. She was coming to know her husband quite well and pushing him to reveal his thoughts or feelings never worked well. So, she trusted that he would tell her when he was ready. As for Oliver, a glimmer of an idea had shown itself to him. It was a plan for the future, one that was far too incomplete to speak of. It would take time and effort, but if he could find a way to bring it about, the results would be interesting to say the least.

Together, the trio walked back upstairs, only to find a visibly upset Thea Queen waiting for them. Sara and Nyssa both easily guessed that her anger wasn’t with them, given the daggers she was glaring at Oliver, so they moved around her and on over to the table to finish their lunches. Oliver just stopped and waited, choosing to let his sister get out whatever she needed to get out.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Thea demanded.

“Tell you what exactly, Speedy? Can you give me a hint?” Oliver asked in return.

“That you offered to let Roy join the League? Or that Sin has joined? And before you get all upset, Roy only said something because he figured that you might have told me that you wanted the man I love to run away to Nanda Parbat. But, I guess you’re still keeping secrets from me, Ollie.”

“And if I had told you, but then told you that I won’t let you join. What then, Speedy?”

“I’d argue why not? How would I be different from any other person seeking to join the League, other than the fact that I’m your sister?” Thea asked. “I mean, it can’t be that I’m not physically fit enough. And I already have more training than most people who seek out the League, I’d bet. So, give me one reason, other than being your sister.”

“That’s all the reason I need, Speedy,” Oliver told her. “Because, I’ll always want to protect you, even if it means protecting you from me.”

“What does that even mean, Ollie?”

“That I would want nothing more than to have you with me, because I love you. I’ve love you from the first moment I set eyes on you. You’re MY sister. But, that the emotional side of me talking. The rational side knows what the League is, what it does and how it can change a person. Knows that there is no place for sentiment or feelings when I am making decisions as Ra’s, that a time might come where I would have to send Nyssa or Sara or you out on a mission that got you killed. And while it would be hard enough dealing with it if it were Nyssa or Sara, it would be crushing if it was you, Speedy.”

“And I get that, Ollie,” Thea told him. “But you need to understand that I’m a big girl now and I can make my own decisions. I don’t need or want you or Roy or anybody else making them for me. Not to mention that Roy and I are kind of a package deal, because as soon as I can talk some sense into him, I plan on dragging him off to an altar and marrying him.”

Oliver couldn’t help it, he had to laugh at the look on Roy’s face. The younger man clearly hadn’t been expecting that. Sin, Sara and even Nyssa were grinning at that.

“I know you can make your own decisions. But I am Ra’s al Ghul and my will is binding on the League. And I will not allow you to join the League,” Oliver told her. “I want a different future for you, Speedy.”

“So, it’s fine for me to go out as a vigilante and help keep the city safe, but it’s not okay for me to join the League?”

“Because, when you go out there as Speedy or Red Arrow, you’re looking to stop the bad guys. The League isn’t like that. We replace evil with death. Before I came here, I was in Russia, as the leader of the group of assassins there to stop a branch of the Bratva. Their leader was a friend of mine and I killed him, with no hesitation, because he and his group were a danger that needed to be stopped. I know that what I did was necessary, but I also know that it is slowly changing me. Just as surely as my time on Lian Yu changed me”

“And that’s why you need me, Ollie.” Thea told him.

“No, Thea. We’ll train you, if you want. It would help you if you decide to continue as a vigilante or for self-defense purposes. But, I will not allow you to join the League,” Oliver told her.

Thea punched Oliver straight to the face, then shoved past him and ran down the stairs. Roy looked at Oliver for a long moment before running after her. Nyssa, Sara and Sin were all giving him looks ranging from frustration to amusement.

“If you have something to say, just get it out.”

“I would congratulate you on how spectacularly stupid that was, Husband,” Nyssa said, a laugh in her voice. “You seek to protect your sister, while failing to realize that not only doesn’t she want to be protected but that she is at more risk being left out there on her own.”

“What do you mean, Nyssa?” Oliver asked.

“Simply that you and the League have enemies, powerful enemies. Enemies that will not hesitate to view the sister of Ra’s al Ghul as a powerful bargaining chip or as simply a target in their fight against the League.”

“So, you’re saying that I should let her join the League, even though that comes with its own set of dangers?”

“Dangers that you can minimize as Ra’s. We can train her until she is as good as either of us,” Nyssa told him.

Oliver walked over to the couch and sat down, burying his head in his hands. He didn’t want this for Thea. He wanted her to have a normal life, one where she and Roy lived in a nice house with a white picket fence, had good jobs, a couple of kids and maybe a dog. That was part of what he’d been fighting for as the Hood or the Arrow. It had been to right the wrongs done by his family, to be sure, but also to give his sister a safe city in which to have a future. Instead, all he’d given her was pain and suffering. A madman seeking to make him suffer had killed their mother right in front of her. She’d been taken by Malcolm Merlyn because Oliver had failed to kill the man. She’d been kidnapped by Nyssa in order to draw Malcolm out. She’d been stabbed by Nyssa’s father in order to force him to join the League in order to save her and because he’d joined the League and then defeated Nyssa’s father, he was now Ra’s al Ghul and his sister faced threats because of that.

A part of him wondered if things wouldn’t have been better if he’d never returned. Yet, he knew the answer to that. He’d seen the path that Thea was on, the partying, the drinking and drugs, the stupid behavior like breaking into stores. It was the path he’d been on before the Gambit. And while she might have eventually found her way, it was far more likely that she could have died from a drug overdose or a car accident while driving under the influence.

“I know what you’re thinking, Ollie,” Sara said softly, as she sat down next to him. “But not everything bad that happens is your fault. We all make our own choices in life. And yeah, being Ra’s does carry with it some baggage, but it also means that there is an entire League of people behind you. We can make sure Thea is as safe as possible. But, that might mean having her join us. I know you don’t like it and if it was Laurel, I’d probably be feeling the same way. Just think about it. Because that flat NO you gave her, that’s going to push her away. And if you lose her, you’ll likely lose Roy too.”

“I’ll think about it,” Oliver told them.

When Thea and Roy came back, neither of them said a word. Oliver sighed softly, trying to think about how he would fix this. The problem was, he didn’t have a clue where to start other than to let her join the League and that was just a step too far for him at the moment. Before the silence could get too oppressive, they heard the sound of Salah’s van pulling into the garage. Thea elected to stay behind and spend time with Roy, rather than ride back with them or more specifically Oliver.

December 24, 2015

Starling City

Oliver was sitting on the couch in their suite when Nyssa came out, dressed for the day. A maroon blouse paired with black slacks and flats under a long coat. He didn’t have to ask, as he knew she would have at least three pairs of knives on her. As for himself, he was barely awake, having been up most of the night. He was still wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants as he stared out the window, his mind running in circles as he tried to come up with a solution for Thea.

“I will return later, Husband,” Nyssa said.

“Where are you off to?” Oliver asked.

“I am meeting Sara and Sin for breakfast at a nice little bistro near their apartment. We will likely go shopping afterwards, which should be interesting.”

“I imagine so.”

Nyssa looked at him after that response, because she knew that he knew she disliked going shopping. She could see in his eyes a far off look and knew that he wasn’t really hearing her. She wondered what was going through his mind that had him so distracted. Nothing had happened last night and she knew of nothing this morning, which left her thinking about yesterday afternoon as the likely cause. But was he thinking about Miss Bertinelli or Thea, that was the question. Turning from him, she decided to leave and let him think. When he was ready, he’d talk to her about whatever it was, she was sure.

Oliver sat there just thinking for another hour, then stood and walked to his room. After a shower, he got dressed in jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and a pair of boots. He tossed on a heavy coat, then went downstairs and into the hotel’s garage. Finding the motorcycle, he climbed on and headed out. He spent the ride over to his sister’s considering the course of action he was about to take, wondering if this was his reason or his emotions dictating his actions. When he arrived at her building, he got off the bike and went inside, nodding to the doorman who recognized him. Taking the elevator up to her floor, he got out and went to her door.

“Why are you here? Back to tell me again how I’m not good enough?” Thea asked bitingly when she opened the door.

“No, I was hoping we could talk,” Oliver said calmly, hands up in a gesture of surrender.

Thea stepped out of the way and Oliver walked past her. Taking a moment, he looked and then decided the best place was for them to sit at the table. So, he made his way over and sat there, waiting for his sister to join them. Thea took the seat across from him, folding her hands in front of her.

“So talk.”

“I need to apologize for yesterday. Not so much for what I said, but how I said it. I was abrupt and dismissive and I’m sorry. I told you before, my instinct is to protect you, to keep you safe. But Nyssa and Sara both pointed out to me that pushing you away might actually be increasing the danger you’re in.”

“What do you mean, Ollie?” Thea asked.

“The League has enemies, as do I. Enemies who would think nothing of using the sister of Ra’s al Ghul to exact their revenge, as bait in a trap or a leverage. Any of those means danger to you. Now, I’m not saying that because of that, I’ll let you join the League.”

“Then what are you saying?” Thea asked.

“That, just as Sara and Nyssa told Sin, you need to really think about this. Joining the League isn’t like a gym membership or your cell phone contract, where you can walk away if you’re not happy. The League is a lifetime commitment, where you only leave when you’re dead or if Ra’s al Ghul releases you. Also, if you join the League, I’ll treat you like any other recruit, if not worse. Because other members will be looking to see if I show you any favoritism and if they perceive that, it would make things worse for you and me,” Oliver told her.

“Does that mean you’ll let me join the League?”

“I means that I will make you an offer, no negotiation. Take it or leave it. You’ll spend the next six months being trained, while you also take that time to consider everything that you will be giving up should you join the League. At the end of those six months, should you still want to join, Nyssa will test you. If you pass the test, you will join the League.”

“And if I don’t? Pass the test, I mean,” Thea asked.

Oliver just gave her a dark look, which filled her with a sense of foreboding. He didn’t want to tell her what would happen if she failed, that he would be called on to do what every Ra’s al Ghul did to recruits who weren’t accepted into the League. It was something he couldn’t back away from, because it was part of what helped keep the League a secret. Letting Thea leave, solely because she is his sister, would be considered a weakness and invite problems from other members, one of whom might take it upon themselves to challenge him for leadership.

“I take it failure is not an option.”

“No, it’s not, Speedy. Failure means death. And it wouldn’t matter that you’re my sister, I would still have to do it. That’s why I want you to be really sure before you do this,” Oliver told him.

“OK, so I train with Sara for the next six months while I think about this? I agree,” Thea told him. “Now, I’ve still got a bunch of Christmas movies and they’re not going to watch themselves.”

Oliver laughed as he got up from the table and went over to the couch facing the television. Thea got a bottle of wine and two glasses from the kitchen, then carried them over. She took the seat next to her brother and opened the wine, pouring two glasses. The siblings settled in for the afternoon, watching movies and just talking, getting back the holiday spirit that had been dampened after their argument yesterday.


	24. Bah Humbug

December 25, 2015

Starling City

Captain Quentin Lance was busy working in his office. He’d volunteered for the shift so that others could have the holiday with their families. He didn’t have anyone waiting at home for him and hadn’t had any plans except to make a small dinner for himself later in the day. He could do that when he got off in the afternoon. He was half listening to the police radio while he went over the stack of reports on his desk. Most of them were about the various killings that had happened a few days ago, with the crime lab having nothing original to provide.

Quentin hated to admit it, even to himself, but these were likely never to be solved. Their only real clue was the use of arrows with some of the victims. But, the Arrow hadn’t been seen in months other than two random sightings and even with the younger archer that the police believed was a protege, there was no way that he could have done all of the crimes. There was also the fact that the arrows used didn’t match those from other cases involving the Arrow, as well as the fact that some of the victims had died from knife wounds.

A knock at the office door brought his head up and a smile crossed his face as he saw Sara standing there, her friend behind her. Quentin tried to think of the girl’s name but it escaped him. Closing the folder, he waved them inside.

“Merry Christmas, Dad,” Sara said as she came over to give him a hug and kiss to the cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Mr. Lance,” Sin said from where she’d stopped near the door.

“Oh, Merry Christmas, Baby,” Quentin told her as tears formed in his eyes.

“Now, I know you’re working and all, but I really wanted to see you today. We’ve missed too many holidays together and I didn’t want to miss this one.”

“I’m really glad you came.”

Another knock came at the door. Looking at it, he found one of the officers on duty. Waving him inside, Quentin waited to hear what was so apparently urgent.

“Sorry, Captain. But Sergeant Lopez needs you,” the officer said.

“What’s the problem?” Quentin asked.

“The prisoner transfer to Iron Heights, Sir. The count when the bus arrived was three short.”

“Tell Lopez I’ll be right there.”

With that, the officer backed out. Sara and Sin stood up, as Sara knew that this would likely occupy most of her father’s day. Quentin watched his younger daughter leave with a bit of regret. He’d enjoyed being able to spend a few minutes with her and only wished it could have been more. Then, he took a breath and made his way out of his office and down to booking.

Sara and Sin went on outside and climbed on Sara’s motorcycle for the ride over to Thea’s loft. They were going to do a “family” Christmas there and both of them were looking forward to it. The ride over was short, as traffic was light due to most people being at home with their families. Getting off the bike, the pair walked inside and took the elevator up to Thea’s. Thea let them in and they could see Roy and Nyssa sitting on one of the couches, while Oliver was in the kitchen working on their brunch. Two people Sara hadn’t been expecting to see, however, were sitting on stools at the kitchen island. Cheshire and Artemis both looked over and smiled, then got off the stools and walked over.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Cheshire said. “It’s good to see you again, little bird.”

“Thank you, Cheshire. It’s been too long,” Sara told her. “Ta-er Aswad, this is Cheshire and her sister, Artemis. This is my friend and student, Ta-er Aswad.”

“The Raven,” Artemis said, with an amused smile. “It definitely suits her, as well as marks her as yours.”

“As my family, yes.”

“Just as long was you don’t chose a bird name for this one,” Cheshire said, pointing at Thea.

“Well, if that’s the case, we can always call her Sarie,” Sara said with a wicked grin, one that filled the younger Queen with dread.

“What does that mean, Sarie?” Thea asked.

“It means ‘Speedy’.”

“Oh God, worst name ever.”

“What are you ladies talking about,” Oliver said as he walked over.

“We were discussing Thea’s League name and they said not to make it another bird, so I said we could call her Sarie. I don’t think Thea’s happy with that choice, though,” Sara said.

“I think it suits you, Speedy.”

Thea just looked at him in disgust. She knew that he knew she hated that nickname and yet here he was, trying to make it her name in the League. Then she saw the smirk on his face and knew that this was all a test, on his part. To see if she would react, she supposed, but she couldn’t figure out why. Still, she looked at the others and decided to stop reacting for now. Instead, she would wait until she had a chance to talk with Ollie, Nyssa or Sara about it.

“Well, the food is done. I figured we would do it buffet style, so grab your plates and take what you like,” Oliver said.

On the kitchen island, there were platters with ham and turkey, a large bowl of mashed potatoes, a large bowl of stuffing, a basket of rolls and biscuits, a bowl of corn, a bowl of green beans and a large bowl of salad. Everyone took a plate and picked out what they wanted, then found seats around the table. Oliver was at one end, with Thea and Artemis on either side of him. Nyssa was on the other end, with Sara and Sin beside her. Roy was between Thea and Sin, while Cheshire was between her sister and Sara. There were bottles of wine on the table, as well as a pitcher of water and one of eggnog.

Neither Cheshire nor Artemis had expected to be here today. They had figured on a room service meal together, then exploring Starling City a little more. Those plans had been dashed when Nyssa had come to their rooms and told them to get dressed. When they’d asked where they were going, she had told them that they would be spending the day with her family. So, they had dressed nicely but comfortably, not really sure what to expect. Now, as they listened to the talk around the table, they smiled as they were treated to a side of Ra’s al Ghul that they doubted anyone else in the League would ever get to see.

“Are you enjoying yourselves?” Oliver asked softly.

“Yes, thank you, Ra’s,” Artemis said truthfully. This was the first holiday she’d spent with her sister and enjoyed since they were children. She’d almost forgotten what this felt like, to have a day with her sister where they both could let go and just be themselves.

“Good. And how do you like Starling City?”

“It is interesting, though the same could be said about any city, really.”

“Well, you may be here for a short while. I’m going to have you and your sister stay, so that you both might train my sister and Roy. Ta-er al-Sahfer needs to focus on supervising the League’s shadows here in the city, as well as training Ta-er Aswad. Also, my sister and Roy will likely be moving to Corto Maltese, since Roy is supposed to be dead,” Oliver told her.

“I thought you were getting him a new identity,” Thea said.

“I am, but I still think that a move out of the country would be beneficial for you both. All it would take is one sharp eyed officer to go ‘That looks like Roy Harper’ and pull him over. Corto Maltese has no extradition treaty with the United States, so as long as he doesn’t get in trouble there, you’re free.”

Thea looked like she wanted to argue some more until Roy rested his hand on hers.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Roy told Oliver. “Besides, if you do join the League, we’d be moving anyways.”

“I know that. I just don’t like people telling me what to do.”

“Then you might want to rethink joining the League, Speedy. Because the entire League exists to serve the will of Ra’s al Ghul. That means, if I tell you to jump, the only thing you say is ‘How high’? You don’t debate it, you do it,” Oliver told her.

“So, if you ordered Artemis to kill her own sister, she’d do it?” Thea asked, looking at them.

“Not as simply as that, but yes. If necessary, she would. Because she knows I’m not Nyssa’s father, who would order something like that for sport or as a perverse test. I believe that they trust me enough to know that I would only order something like that if there was a valid reason and that I would tell them what that reason was.”

“Every member of the League is not merely willing to kill for Ra’s al Ghul. We are willing to die for him,” Cheshire said. “We know we are not expendable, that our deaths would have meaning. It is why we train as hard as we do, so that we can defeat any adversary, survive any challenge.”

“What Cheshire and Artemis are going to do for you is they are going to train you, not only in a number of martial arts but also in what being a member of the League means,” Oliver told Thea and Roy. What he didn’t say was that he would instruct the two women to push them harder than they had ever been pushed before. Not to break them, but to force them to maximize their potential.

“So, when do you think we should move?” Roy asked.

“I would say the sooner, the better. But, I think it is really up to you both.”

“We should only need clothes and such. The house down there is furnished,” Thea said.

Roy and Thea took a moment and just looked at each other, silently asking if this is what the other wanted to do. Leave Starling, leave their friends and move to Corto Maltese, where they knew virtually nobody, not even the two people who would be responsible for training them. Thea had made this decision once before, only for it to have disastrous consequences because she’d trusted someone she shouldn’t have. So, even though in her heart she knew she should trust her brother, her head was still treacherously reminding her that she’d been down this path before and that she and her brother had never fully resolved the issues that had caused her to leave then, either.

Before either of them could speak, however, there came a sound from the balcony. Everyone turned towards it, as the noise was repeated three more times. Looking, Oliver just realized what he was seeing when the arrows exploded, taking the glass of the windows with them. Almost immediately afterwards, a host of figures in dark gray uniforms that looked much like the standard league uniform came through the broken windows. As they landed, they fired off arrows at the group around the table. The League members were quick enough to either dodge the arrows aimed at them or catch the arrow, but Sin, Thea and Roy weren’t so lucky. Nyssa just managed to catch the arrow headed for Sin, while Roy pushed Thea towards Oliver, so that the arrow just grazed her right arm. However, because he was so focused on protecting Thea, Roy took the arrow aimed at him in the chest and was knocked backwards, toppling his chair over.

Thea pulled away from Oliver when she saw this, dropping down to her knees next to her Beloved. The wound was bad, she could instantly tell as she pulled her sweater off and pressed it against the wound, taking care not to disturb the arrow and potentially make things worse. As she was doing this, Oliver, Nyssa and the others were fighting back against their opponents. And while the gray clad warriors were good, they were ultimately no match for the League members, especially Oliver and Sara when they were fueled by anger at seeing their friend so badly hurt.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over as the gray clad warriors turned and fled. Except for Roy, there were only a few minor injuries to Thea, Sin and Artemis that would heal in the next couple of days. Roy, on the other hand, was barely hanging on as Oliver dropped down next to him, while Nyssa called Salah and al-Qarasina. Salah was bringing one of the League’s shadows who was a doctor, which al-Qarasina was hacking into the security footage for the building, to see if they could get any clear images of their opponents. Not that either Oliver or Nyssa had any doubt that they were students of Talia.

“Hang in there, Roy,” Oliver said softly. “The doctor will be here shortly, you just need to hang in there.”

“Do something, Ollie,” Thea cried from the other side of her boyfriend, as she removed her sweater which was now soaked with blood and replaced it with one of the cloth napkins from the table.

Oliver looked at his sister, then back down at Roy before making a choice. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he dialed a number and said a little prayer.

“Barry, it’s Oliver. I need your help.”

“Where?” Barry asked.

“Thea’s loft. Bring Caitlin too,” Oliver said.

“We’re on our way.”

When the call hung up, Oliver breathed a sigh of relief before noticing the others looking at him.

“Who was that?” Sara asked.

“Some people I know who might be able to help.”

“And how are they going to get here any faster than Salah will get the League’s doctor here?”

“Oh, trust me. Barry and Caitlin should be here in a flash,” Oliver said with a grin, before looking back down at Roy. “Thea, do you still have the first aid kit that I left here?”

“Yeah. It’s in the closet over there,” Thea said, pointing across the room.

“Artemis, grab that. Sin, open the front door please and stand back.”

The pair did as they were asked and not a moment too soon, as almost the instant that Sin got the front door open, a gust of wind blew through the loft. A pair of people were suddenly in their midst, causing Sara, Nyssa and Cheshire to all reach for a weapon. They only stopped when they saw a small smile on Oliver’s face as he stood and approached them.

“Barry, Caitlin. Thank you for coming.”

“Anytime, Oliver,” Barry said, as Caitlin took a moment to gather herself. Then she saw Roy laying on the floor, an arrow sticking out of his chest and immediately knew why they’d asked for her. Dropping down next to him, she took the offered first aid kit and searched through it. Finding what she would need, she got to work.

Step one was removing the arrow, which she did with Cheshire’s help. Sara had moved Thea away, so that Caitlin could work. Once she had the arrow out, she quickly stitched up the wound, including handling the few blood vessels that had been damaged by the projectile. When that was done, she closed the outer wound and then placed a dressing over the stitches.

“He’ll need to rest and he’ll be sore for a little while, but he’ll be alright,” Caitlin said.

“What happened, anyway?”

“We were trying to have a nice Christmas brunch when we were attacked,” Oliver said.

“Do you know who it was?” Barry asked.

“Oh, I’ve got a fairly good idea.”

“Do you need any help?”

“Not with this. But, Sara’s sister Laurel is going to be moving to Central City soon. If you guys could kinda keep an eye on her, we’d appreciate it,” Oliver said.

“We can do that,” Caitlin said.

“Thank you, both.”

Oliver held out his hand and smiled slightly when Barry opened his arms. Laughing, they shared a brief hug before Oliver turned to Caitlin and did the same. Then, as quickly as they arrived, they were gone. Seeing the others just gaping in shock, he couldn’t help but just shake his head.

“How does he do that?” Sara asked, the first to come to her senses.

“Felicity could explain it better. Basically, the night the particle accelerator exploded, it released something called Dark Matter into the atmosphere. Barry was struck by lightning that night, which came from a cloud with this Dark Matter in it. Now, because of that, he has these abilities,” Oliver said.

“He’s the Flash?” Thea asked.

“Yeah, he is. Caitlin is his medical support.”

“Wow!”

“Be that as it may, I believe our more pressing concern is who attacked us,” Nyssa said.

“We both know precisely who attacked us, Nyssa,” Oliver said darkly.

“Husband, I do not agree. My sister is more cunning that this, this crude attempt that seemed to have no definitive purpose other than to shoot arrows at everybody in the room. If this had been my sister, I believe that they would have all been aiming at you or at you and I, nor would they have retreated as quickly as they did. That would make sense, given her desire to replace you as the Demon’s Head.”

“Then, who do you think was behind this, Nyssa? Because I will not allow this to go unanswered.”

“I can not answer that, not at this moment. I believe that our best course of action is to return to Nanda Parbat as soon as possible. There, we can plan a response, while also be in a better position. If this is my sister, we both know what her goal is, Husband. Ra’s needs to be at the head of the League,” Nyssa told him calmly.

“Very well,” Oliver said. “We all go, then. Roy and Thea, Sara and Sin. All of us.”

December 25, 2015

Gotham City

A long suffering sigh escaped the older man’s lips as he descended the stairs. Not even tonight would his charge simply take a break. When he’d mentioned it yesterday, he’d been informed that since crime knew no holidays, neither could he. And while Alfred Pennyworth might understand the sentiment behind such a statement, he disliked seeing Master Bruce like this. Both Barbara and Tim had already left, so that they could get ready for dinner that evening with Commissioner Gordon. Barbara had been sure to invite Tim to join her, knowing that otherwise he would be in his room playing video games after a solitary dinner.

“Perhaps, Sir, you might wish to take a small break,” Alfred said as he came up behind Bruce. “I have dinner prepared for you.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Bruce said, never taking his eyes off the computer screen in front of him.

“I do not recognize the map, Master Bruce.”

“It’s a map of Starling City, Alfred. It seems that the League was interested in the city, then abruptly left. I’m trying to figure out what happened and why.”

“Are there any leads?”

“Perhaps. At the same time that the League left the city, the city’s vigilante also disappeared.”

“And you believe that the two are connected?” Alfred asked.

“That’s what concerns me, Alfred. I did believe that the two were connected, until there was an increase in League activity in Starling again. Now, I’m not so sure. The problem is, there’s not a lot of information out there, which I think is because whoever was providing tech support to the Arrow went to a lot of trouble to erase as much as they could,” Bruce told him.

“Then, Master Bruce, might I suggest reading item eight in the latest electronic folder Mister Fox sent over.”

Bruce pulled up the item from his shared drive and began reading. He skimmed through the parts about the battery that Palmer Technologies was developing. Lucius had already thoroughly briefed him on that, as well as the offers that had been submitted for a partnership centered around it. It was when he got to the meat of the report that he realized why Alfred had brought it to his attention. Palmer Technologies was hemorrhaging cash, yet no one could seem to pinpoint where it was being spent. As a result, the value of the company’s stock was dropping.

Opening a fresh window, Bruce called up the current valuation of the company. He then projected what the battery could potentially do in terms of sales and revenue. He also considered what having direct access to the battery could mean for Wayne Enterprises. Once he had done all of that, he went back to the report and smiled to see that they had come to the same conclusion. Palmer Technologies was not only ripe of a takeover, but that it would make more business sense than simply trying to negotiate a deal with them on the battery. Plus, if they had something this revolutionary, what else might their applied sciences division be working on. Picking up the phone, he dialed a number.

“Merry Christmas, Bruce,” Lucius Fox said when he answered the phone.

“And to you as well, Lucius. I just read item eight from your latest and want to know how soon we can have it done,” Bruce said.

“If you don’t mind people noticing, I can have the required stake by this time Monday. If we want to be more discreet, by New Year’s Eve. Remember, today is Friday as well as Christmas.”

“As quick as you can. I want to go to Starling and inform them in person.”

“Ah,” Lucius said. “Should I take it that this is about more than just business reasons?”

“Yeah, I need to take a closer look at something,” Bruce said.

“Understood. I’ll make sure that one of the jets is on standby Tuesday morning.”

“Thank you, Lucius.”

With that, Bruce hung up the phone. He made notes to let Barbara and Tim know in the morning. For now, he needs to come up with a viable plan. The takeover of Palmer Technologies would give Bruce Wayne an excuse to be in Starling. What would be his excuse for having Barbara with him? He hated the lie of her being his executive assistant, because he felt it demeaning. She was a genius with technology, so much so that if she ever wanted to work for Wayne Enterprises, he’d make her the head of a department. At that thought, he paused. Perhaps that was the excuse. He could call her his technical advisor or put her on the payroll, on paper at least, as an assistant director of technology. That would cover her being there. As for Tim, he would need to stay in Gotham and handle patrolling the city. If things got to be more than he could handle, he could always call in Dick for backup. A part of Bruce wanted to call Dick now, but then he felt like it would signal a lack of faith in Tim.

Now that he’d considered all of that, Bruce began doing deeper research into Palmer Technologies and its key personnel. He’d met Ray Palmer on a number of occasions and like the man well enough. His Vice President, Felicity Smoak, on the other hand was an enigma. However, that didn’t last for long, as he set about pealing back the layers. The more he discovered, the more impressed he was, but also the more concerned he became. Which is why he had to dig deeper, search for more information. Her career path puzzled him, until he thought about it further and cast his net further afield. Then, a pattern emerged and a smile came to his face. Bruce now knew in his gut exactly who the Starling City vigilante had been, because he knew that Felicity Smoak had been his technical support. The question was, where was Oliver Queen now?


	25. Welcome to the New World

December 26, 2015

Monastery in Tibet

Talia and a handful of her students walked up the snow covered path. It had been a long week of work for them, as they had been hunting a scientist. The man had been rumored to be working on a treatment for the Ebola virus. Why the group that had hired her wanted that stopped had been of no concern to her. Only the price had mattered. Now, she was beginning to think that she had either been underpaid or that the information she had been given about the man was incomplete. Because what should have been easy had ended up being much harder than it should have been.

As she and her group entered the monastery, she was pleased to see the rest of her students hard at work training. The students that had been with her pealed away, heading for their rooms so that they could get cleaned up and changed before joining in the daily training. Looking around, she frowned when she didn’t see a specific student.

“Ubu,” Talia called out.

A tall, muscular man came forward and knelt.

“Where is Chase?”

“He and a group of your students left a day after you did, my lady,” Ubu told her.

“They left? For what reason?” Talia asked, as she motioned him to stand and walk with her.

“He said that you had given him a mission before you left. One that was of vital importance and utmost secrecy,” Ubu informed her.

Talia took a breath to calm herself and gain focus. If Chase had decided to leave, that was fine with her. Having his assistance against Oliver Queen would have been very useful, as the more or less inside man to bring him down. Having his assistance against Ra’s al Ghul, on the other hand, was of little consequence and could be replaced by any one of a thousand new recruits. Oliver, even as the Arrow, only had a handful of allies, but Ra’s commanded hosts of Assassins and Shadows who existed only to do his will.

As she was thinking about that, they reached her private office. Stepping inside, she frowned. The box containing all of the information that their source had sent them about Oliver was gone. All the files, the photos, everything. So, that was ‘the mission’ he was on, Talia reflected in anger. Walking over to her desk, she looked at the pile of papers that were waiting there for her. She picked them up and began flipping through them, both to look for anything that might need her immediate attention and also to think. Think about what had triggered this madness.

It was as she was going through the stack of papers that she found it. There was a message from their source informing them that Oliver had been spotted in Starling. The date was the day that she had left, meaning that it must have come in after she was gone and for some reason, Chase had been made aware of it. This was not good, not good at all.

“Ubu, gather a dozen of our finest men and meet me at the entrance to the monastery.”

“As you command, my lady.”

Talia went to her chambers, washed up quickly and got dressed in a new uniform. She then repacked her bag with clean clothes, gathered up her weapons once more and headed for the entrance. There, standing behind Ubu were the dozen that she had requested. All of them had packs and weapons with them, their uniforms making them anonymous.

“Ubu, you are in command until my return. No one is to leave,” Talia told him.

“As you command, my lady,” Ubu said as he knelt.

With that, Talia set off down the path. The dozen warriors followed silently behind her. She would inform them of their mission once they were on their way. Right now, they needed to move quickly, if she wanted to prevent a war between her organization and the League of Assassins.

December 26, 2015

Nanda Parbat

The large transport plane came in for a landing at the airstrip. The plane had been necessary given that Oliver had decided to honor the promise he had made to Diggle. So, the plane was carrying every Assassin who had been in Starling City. The only ones left behind were a handful of Shadows who were in positions that were deemed vital to the League. An-Nur and Nadeem were among those, as their positions in ARGUS provided critical intelligence to the League.

When the plane landed, the ramp at the rear was lowered. The Assassins were the first off, then Oliver and his group followed them. Roy, Thea and Sin were busy looking around at the landscape, which was so different than Starling City, that it took them a moment to join up with the others. All of them had large duffle bags filled with clothes, as well as another with their individual weapons. Once they were all together, Oliver led the way from the airstrip to the trail that led to the fortress.

The sun was just beginning to set when Nanda Parbat came into view. Oliver paused for a moment, taking in the view. As such, he was able to see the looks on Thea and Roy’s faces. To say that they were slightly wide-eyed would have been an understatement.

“What is this place?” Sin asked from slightly behind him.

“This is Nanda Parbat, Ta-er Aswad,” Artemis answered the young woman. “The home of the League of Assassins.”

“It looks like something out of one of the Indiana Jones movies,” Roy said.

Oliver and Sara shared a chuckle at that, while Nyssa just looked perplexed. Oliver also took in the long lines of League members who stood in ranks lining the path to the entrance of the fortress. As he moved forward, they knelt as one. He could hear the murmur of “Ra’s” come from them. He let it wash over him as he settled himself back into the colder, more aloof mindset of Ra’s. While he’d been in Starling, he’d let that slip a little and had been more like Oliver. That time had passed.

Once they had passed the entrance, Oliver stopped and looked at the group that had come with him. There were a few things that would have to be sorted out. The easiest was where the newcomers would be staying.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer, Ta-er Aswad will stay with you. Sarie and al-Tirsana will share a room in the family wing as well. Staring tomorrow, Cheshire, you and your sister will be responsible for their training. Ta-er al-Sahfer will continue working with Ta-er Aswad. For tonight, we will have a late supper and then retire,” Oliver told them.

“As you command, my lord,” Cheshire and Artemis said in unison.

“Both are proficient with the bow, Artemis. Your job is to make them experts. Cheshire, I expect you to make them experts at hand-to-hand combat as well.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Oliver looked at the pair for a moment before nodding his head and motioning their dismissal. He then led the way to the family wing of the fortress. As he walked, the group would come across a League member here or there, all of whom bowed to Ra’s as they passed.

“Man, these guys treat you like some kind of king, Ollie,” Thea said after about the fourth time it happened.

“Be quiet,” Oliver said sharply, not even turning to her. He hurried the group along until they reached the rooms set aside for himself and Nyssa. Opening the door, he got them inside before turning to his sister and fixing her with a glare. “This isn’t how I wanted this to go, Thea, but the die has been cast. You and Roy are here now and that means that there are certain things that you need to accept. First, I am not longer Oliver Queen. That man does not exist within these walls. Here, I am and can only be Ra’s al Ghul. Whatever love Oliver Queen possesses for you no longer matters. All that matters is whether you can be trained to become members of the League. Second, from here on, you will only address me as Ra’s or my lord. You said that they treat me like a King. You’re not far off. You’ll be expected to knelt or bow before me, just as ever other member of the League does. Lastly, unfortunately, by my bringing you here, your time for choosing no longer exists. You will be trained to join the League and at the end of that training, you will become members of the League, either as Shadows or Assassins. Your new names are Sarie and al-Tirsana, or Speedy and Arsenal in English. Thea Queen and Roy Harper no longer exist, they are forgotten.”

“And what happens if we fail in the training?” Roy asked.

“Failure is not an option, for any of you. Failure means death.”

“You can’t really mean that.”

“I do. The very existence of the League is a closely guarded secret, which means that we can not merely release those that fail to become members, lest they spread word of the League to ears not meant to hear of it. The only way to insure that does not happen is to make sure those who fail never speak again,” Oliver said, looking at the three non-members, making sure that could see how deadly serious he was. He knew that it would pain him greatly to command such a fate for any of the three, but it would be expected by the rest of the League.

Thea swallowed past a lump in her throat. She remembered Oliver telling her that the price of failure was death, but she hadn’t really believed him at the time. She had thought that it was his way of scarring her away from joining the League. But here and now, with him talking in a darker tone, in a room lit by candles and a brazzer, she finally grasped that he was serious. That her joining the League was a one way trip. To make matters worse, she was dragging Roy along on that trip.

“In the morning, Artemis and Cheshire will be here. They will take you to breakfast, then for training. I’ll be honest about that, just so you understand. This training will make what we were doing in Starling look like Kindergarten. They will push your limits, though they will go a little easier on Roy until your wound is fully healed. There is no backing down, there is no ‘Give me five’. The same goes for you, Ta-er Aswad. Ta-er al-Sahfer and Nyssa will be pushing you as well.”

A knock came at the door, with Oliver telling them to enter. When the door opened, there were three League members there. Two of them were carrying large trays of food for them, while Navid stood by the doorway.

“My lord, there are several matters that require your attention,” Navid said.

“Are any of them requiring immediate action, Navid?” Oliver asked.

“No, my lord.”

“Then meet me in my office in thirty minutes, that I might have time to eat beforehand.”

“As you command, my lord,” Navid said, as he bowed and left the room along with the other two that had come with him. Oliver and the others sat down around the table and began filling their plates with the food that had been brought in. The mood was a lot more sober than the last meal that they had shared together, as each was taking the time to truly reflect on the changes that the last twenty-four hours had brought.

Once he was done eating, Oliver excused himself from the table and made his way to his office. He was not surprised to see Navid standing outside the door, waiting for him. Motioning for the man to join him, he settled into the seat behind the desk and fought hard to contain the sigh that wanted to escape at seeing the large stack of papers that he would need to deal with as soon as possible. Pushing that aside for the moment, he looked up at Navid.

“You said that there were several matters?” Oliver asked.

“Yes, my lord. Several branches of the Bratva have reached out to us expressing concern over what happened in Moscow and how it might affect them. They are requesting a meeting with you or one of your horsemen to discuss their concerns.”

“Invite them to come here, though what happened in Moscow and Starling City does not affect them unless they choose for it to do so.”

“As you command, my lord. Next, two of your Shadows in Dubai have reported on a terrorist attack scheduled for the beginning of January. They are requesting instruction and assistance,” Navid told him.

“Send four Assassins to Dubai. Message the Shadows to maintain watch and continue to collect information until they arrive, as well as making sure that everything is prepared for the team that is coming,” Oliver said.

“Yes, my lord. There is also the matter of Miss Bertinelli. When do you wish to see her?”

“After breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“I will see to it, my Lord. Lastly, it seems our presence in Starling City may have attracted some unwanted attention. One of our Shadows in Gotham City reports that a Wayne Enterprises jet is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The passenger manifest lists only two persons, Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon,” Navid said.

“Interesting. The question then becomes, is he going to Starling solely as Bruce Wayne or is he going as Batman and using his public persona as an excuse?” Oliver asked rhetorically, thinking out loud as he remembered everything he had learned about Bruce Wayne since becoming Ra’s. Learning that he was the Batman hadn’t been as much of a surprise as others might have expected, not given what Oliver knew about Bruce’s history. As well, he could see certain similarities between Bruce the playboy and the facade that he himself had erected when he’d returned from his five years away. Both of them were showing the public what they expected to see, rather than the person they really were.

“Call Salah. Have the Shadows in the city watch both of them discreetly. Also, have al Qarasina try to find out any business that Bruce Wayne might have in Starling.”

“As you command, my lord. There is nothing else that needs to be covered at this time. I will go to the communication center at once and pass along your instructions.”

With that, Navid left the office. Oliver settled back for a moment to think. He was a little unsettled by the idea of Bruce suddenly sticking his nose into what had happened in Starling City. Especially now, when he battling against Talia and her group. Bruce was Talia’s Beloved, as well as a man that Nyssa’s father had considered as a potential heir. Bruce had fought the League on several occasions and had managed what almost no one else had, to survive and force the League into concessions. Simply put, the League left the Batman to handle Gotham as long as Gotham’s problems stayed in Gotham. Otherwise, he was to stay out of the League’s affairs.

So, now that he had two quandaries to deal with, he would use this time to think about the course of action that he should take.

December 27, 2015

Nanda Parbat

Roy and Thea were awoken from their slumber when Cheshire came into their room and yanked the covers off of them. Jolting upright, the couple was somewhat surprised at the low level of light in the room, until they realized that the light was not coming from lights or lanterns, but rather from a handful of candles, a large brazzer and a pair of torches. The large open archway leading to a balcony showed that it was still dark outside. Near the doorway, they could see Artemis standing with a bundle of black cloth in her arms and a smile on her face.

“Get cleaned up and get dressed,” Cheshire told them. “We’ll show you to the dinning hall for breakfast, then take you for training.”

Roy and Thea went into the bathroom. Roy shaved while Thea took a quick bath, then she did her hair while it was Roy’s turn in the bath. Once they were both done, they came out and took the clothes that Artemis had brought for them. Only when they were dressed in the League’s robes did Cheshire and Artemis lead them to the dinning hall. Breakfast was bowls of oatmeal and fresh fruit. Thea thought this was kind of like the summer camp her parents had sent her too years ago, back before the Gambit had sunk. Though, even then there had been more choice than this.

As for Roy, he was paying more attention to his surrounding than the food. Growing up poor and in the Glades, he’d long since developed the philosophy that food was food. Didn’t matter if it was packages of Ramen noodles, instant oatmeal or canned tuna, as long as it filled the belly and gave him the strength to get through another day. So, a breakfast of oatmeal and fresh fruit was just fine with him. Now, the building that they were in, that was what he was interested in right now. It looked like one of the castles he’d seen on television when he was a kid, except this was for real and, going by what Oliver had told them last night, his home now.

Roy was also thinking about his and Thea’s futures to some extent. He’d been thinking a lot since Oliver had made the offer for him to join the League, but that wasn’t to say that he had made a decision on it yet. Especially after being reunited with Thea and seeing a possible future before them. Now, that choice had been taken from them and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. So, he sat there thinking as he ate.

When they were done with breakfast, Artemis and Cheshire led Roy and Thea out of the dinning hall and on to one of the private training rooms set aside for Ra’s and Nyssa. Neither Roy or Thea were paying attention as the stepped into the room, as they were still taking in their surroundings. For that reason, they were both rewarded with a hard punch to the side from their instructors. A second strike quickly followed the first, drawing muttered curses.

“Damn it, we weren’t even ready to start,” Thea grumbled.

“And that is your first lesson, Sarie. There is no call to ‘get ready’, rather you must always be ready, mindful of your surroundings,” Cheshire told the younger woman as she struck again, this time an open palm to the back of Thea’s head.

“The second lesson. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.”

“What does that mean?” Roy asked.

“It means that many things can hurt, but if you are able to accept that and move your mind past it, then you need not suffer from it,” Artemis said.

“And how do you move your mind past it?”

“It’s different for each individual. For me, it’s a type of meditation. For Cheshire, it’s about embracing the pain.”

“We will work on that with you as well,” Cheshire told them. “For now, we will focus on teaching you hand-to-hand.”

With that, Cheshire motioned Thea to join her in the center of the room. They started out slowly, with Cheshire gradually increasing the pace. She worked to see what her student already knew, then focused on polishing that until it was at a quality she deemed acceptable. Then, she moved on to something else and repeated the process.

None of them noticed the figure standing in the doorway, watching for a moment before walking off. Oliver had spent the early part of the morning talking with Nyssa regarding what he should do with Helena. He was still a little on the fence regarding which way he should go. He knew with the right training that she could be a valuable asset to the League. But he also knew from experience that she was willful and headstrong, which would make her a handful to whoever was selected to train her.

Having decided that he had delayed long enough, he continued on to the main hall of Nanda Parbat. He went and stood with his back to the doorway, looking at the Lazarus Pit. After a time, he could hear footsteps behind him and smiled to himself. No member of the League made that much noise while walking, so he was very confident that it was her being brought to him. Yet, he still kept his back to the doorway, waiting.

“Kneel before Ra’s al Ghul,” came the hard command from Navid. Oliver wanted to see what she would do. Would she obey the order or would she refuse? If she obeyed, there might be a chance. If she refused, this would end quickly and badly. He focused on what he could hear and after a slight pause, he heard her knees hit the floor.

“For what purpose have you traveled here, Miss Bertinelli?” Oliver said, deepening his voice.

“I was told that I could find a new start here. That is what I am seeking,” Helena said.

“What do you know of the League?”

“I know that you don’t want to cross it.”

“Perhaps. The true purpose of the League is to replace evil with death. Evil like your father, like the Bratva. We do that which is necessary to defeat such forces. Do you believe that you are worthy of being a member of the League?” Oliver asked.

“I spent years trying to destroy my father and his organization. Even after his death, I still went and hunted down the rest of the family. As to whether I am worthy or not, that is for you to decide, is it not?” Helena asked him right back, trying to place the voice that she felt she should know.

“You are aware that I could decide that you are not worthy and that your head would be rolling on the ground before I finished the sentence?”

“Yes, I’m aware of the consequences of my decision and I’ve accepted them.”

“Have you really, Helena?” Oliver asked as he turned to face her at last.

“Oliver Queen? Is this some kind of sick joke?” Helena asked, starting to rise to her feet, only to be stopped by a sword at the back of her neck.

“I will tell you when you can rise, Helena. And, Oliver Queen is dead, he exists only in the past. He has been reborn as Ra’s al Ghul. Do not utter that name again. Just as, if I deem you worthy, Helena Bertinelli will die and be reborn as something else, someone else. I know you have the fire to take on the evils of this world. What I question is whether you have the discipline that is necessary. You will begin your training tomorrow and we shall see if you are worthy of being an Assassin or not.”

“Thank you, Ra’s.”

“Don’t thank me. You haven’t met your teacher yet,” Oliver said with a grin that was positively evil, before motioning with his hand that she was dismissed. Once she was gone, Oliver left the hall as well, heading back to his rooms. Now for the fun part, telling Nyssa that she was going to be training Helena.

December 27, 2015

Starling City

The Wayne Enterprises jet was coming in for a landing as Bruce put away the folder that he had been reading. He smiled at the redhead sitting in the seat opposite him, laptop opened as she worked furiously at the keyboard. Just as the plane touched down, she closed out of whatever she was working on and put the laptop in the soft case that sat on the table in front of her.

“We should be all set, Bruce. We have a meeting scheduled with Ray Palmer tomorrow morning at ten o’clock. Lucius has managed to round up forty percent of the outstanding stock and the trades are scheduled to go through first thing. Lucius believes that he can get the other eleven percent needed before you walk through the doors at Palmer Technologies,” Barbara said.

“At that point, I simply advise Palmer that I now own the majority of the stock and offer him a buyout for his stake. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets mad, considering how much money he’ll be losing,” Bruce said with a grin.

“Well, he’ll still own his Smart Wearables, so he can start another company with the money he’ll make off the buyout and get back to selling those. The O.M.A.C designs or A.T.O.M as he’s now labeling it, the long-life battery and whatever else they’re cooking up in their Applied Sciences division come to Wayne Tech or wherever else in the company they fit.”

“Whatever else they’re cooking up? Don’t tell me you’re losing your touch, Barbara? I would have figured you would be telling me all of Palmer Technologies secrets by now.”

“Well, I’m not. And you know perfectly well why I’m not, or did you just skim the file on Felicity Smoak?” Barbara asked, a little bite to her tone.

“Felicity Megan Smoak, born July 24, 1989 to Donna Smoak and Noah Kuttler. IQ is 170. Placed second in the National Information Technology Competition at age 19. Graduated from MIT summa cum laude with Masters degrees in Computer Science and Cyber Security. She was also the real author of the virus Cooper Sheldon used to hack the Department of Education, something that the FBI never discovered. After graduation, she took an entry level job with Queen Consolidated in their IT department. Then, in 2013, she is made Oliver Queen’s Executive Assistant when he is co-CEO, a move that doesn’t make sense at all. In 2014, she is fired by Queen Consolidated and ended up working for Tech Village, of all places. I mean, here’s this genius who should be running something like Wayne Tech or Palmer Technologies and instead, she’s stuck fetching coffee for Oliver Queen and working minimum wage doing customer service,” Bruce said with a shake of his head.

“Well, somehow in 2014, Ray Palmer brought her on board at Palmer Technologies as a Vice President, so clearly he recognized that genius. She is also the reason that I am not able to get into any of the more secret file of Palmer Technologies. There are literally firewalls for her firewalls. Oh, and she has a sense of humor, too. When I got past a second of the firewalls, all the data that I got was audio files of porcupine flatulence. There was also a virus there that would have done the same thing to my laptop, if I hadn’t caught it in time.”

Barbara caught Bruce’s hint of a smile, which from him was like a full belly laugh. And Bruce did see the humor of it. The more he discovered about Miss Smoak, the more he liked the woman. Yet, he might have to put that away if he needed to confront here regarding Oliver Queen being the Arrow.

“Master Bruce, Miss Barbara, the car is here and your luggage has been unloaded,” came the calm voice of Alfred.

“Thank you, Alfred.”

With that, Bruce stood up and turned to Barbara. Once she had gathered her laptop case and made sure she had everything, she nodded to him. He then reached down and gathered her into his arms, carrying her to the doorway of the private jet and down the short stairway. From there, it was a couple of steps to the black Mercedes sedan that was waiting for them. There was a time, back when she’d first been shot and was coming to grips with it that she never would have allowed that. Barbara had tried to cling to every vestige of her independence. It had taken time to accept that there was no harm in seeking help when she genuinely needed it. Bruce and Alfred had been big parts of that, by always being patient and waiting until she asked. Slowly, they had reached an understanding of situations, like this, where she would definitely need help and it was understood without asking.

When the car pulled away, she wasn’t surprised to see Bruce motion for her to be silent. She knew him well enough to know that nothing important about either parts of their business here in Starling would be talked about in something as easy to bug as a car. So, she contented herself with looking out the window and taking in the city. And, while she could say that it wasn’t as bad as Gotham, it was certainly close. But then, with everything that the city had suffered in the last few years, that came as no real surprise. A part of her wondered, what had been the cause of it all, the Undertaking, the Siege, the League coming. She wondered if Bruce knew the answer, then thought it possible that he did.

The car pulled under the entrance to the Starling Grande and the door was quickly opened. Bruce climbed out, while Alfred readied her wheelchair for her. Once she had transitioned to the chair, she wheeled after Bruce while a bellhop collected their bags. Inside, a manager was waiting to welcome Bruce to the hotel and handle getting them checked in. It was a matter of moments before they were in the elevator and on their way to the top floor. Two large suites had been reserved for them, so once Barbara had seen to her clothes, she made her way to Bruce’s. She had to bite back a smile when she saw that he had already set up a portable jamming device, just in case someone had tried to bug his suite.

“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Barbara asked after the door was closed.

“I’ll go on patrol, see if I can find any signs of the League. Also, see if I can find a trace of the Arrow or one of his associates,” Bruce said.

“Alright. I’ll get our link to the Batcave set up and get communications sorted out.”

“Good. I’m going to take a brief nap, then order room service. By that time, it should be dark enough.”

With that, Bruce walked into the bedroom he was using and laid down on top of the bed. In a matter of seconds, he was sound asleep. Something that he’d trained himself to do, knowing that with his lifestyle the ability to sleep wherever and whenever was vital. There had been many times when he’d worked a full day at Wayne Enterprises, taken an hour or two to nap before spending the night patrolling Gotham. What he had planned for tonight should be easier than his battles in his hometown, since Starling had nothing like Joker, Two-face or the Penguin after all.


	26. Let the Games Begin

December 28, 2015

Starling City

Bruce sat at the table in the sitting room of the suite. An order of Eggs Benedict awaited his attention, while he was focused on the tablet that he was reading from. He wasn’t surprised that rumors had already started about Wayne Enterprises looking to take over Palmer Technologies. The speed that he was having Lucius move at in buying up the outstanding shares wasn’t conducive to secrecy. Still, the fact that it had taken until now for those rumors to appear in the media was a victory in his mind. All that was left was the meeting to certify that they had the majority and then getting Palmer to sell his stake.

Pushing that to the side, he reflected on the search. He’d patrolled a significant portion of the city and had found no signs of the League, the Arrow or those associated with him. However, there had been a couple of times where he’d felt as if someone was watching him. He’d tried changing directions and doubling back, but had never been able to find the cause of it. He’d also had Barbara looking through any available camera footage she could find to no avail.

A voice in the back of his head was warning him that he was missing something. However, all he could currently go on what what he’d found so far. So, he’d take some time this morning, after the meeting with Palmer, and see if he couldn’t find Oliver Queen. One of the places he would try was his sister’s loft. Even if he wasn’t there, it was likely that she was in touch with him and could point the way or pass on a message.

A knock at the door is answered by Alfred, who lets Barbara into the suite. Barbara was dressed for the meeting, wearing an aquamarine blouse and black slacks, her hair falling in red waves to her shoulders. Rolling into the room, she smiled at seeing Bruce sitting there. Going over, she noticed that he was focused on the tablet and decided to steal the eggs. Just as she grabbed the fork, his hand snatched it from her.

“If you’re hungry, have Alfred order you something,” Bruce told her, still focused on what he was reading.

“What would you like, Miss Barbara?” Alfred asked her.

“Scrambled eggs, home fries and wheat toast, please,” Barbara replied. “Thank you, Alfred.”

“My pleasure.”

A silence fell over them after the order was called into room service. Yet, it wasn’t uncomfortable in any way. It was simply that Bruce had never felt the need to fill a silence with irrelevant words, as well as the innate need for silence that their nightly activities required. It was something that he had trained Barbara in when he’d taken her under his wing as Batgirl. Alfred, on the other hand, had been something of an expert at the art long before his current charge had been born.

Once her breakfast arrived, Barbara had happily eaten up. She was curious how today would go. She knew the basic plan, but she was having trouble predicting more than a move ahead. She just didn’t feel like she knew enough about either Doctor Palmer or, perhaps more importantly, Felicity Smoak. She wondered how somebody who had taken such pains to move on from the person she was in college had ended up involved with Starling City’s vigilante. Not just involved, but had willingly stayed involved for almost three years.

“It is time, Master Bruce,” Alfred intoned for where he stood by the door.

Bruce stood from the table and put on the suit jacket that he’d left neatly laid across the back of the couch. Taking a moment, he checked his reflection in the mirror and adjusted his tie. While he was doing this, Barbara was already wheeling herself out of the suite and over to the elevators. As it was arriving, the two men stepped out of the suite and joined her.

By the time they stepped outside, their car was waiting for them for the short drive to Palmer Technologies. Looking down the street, Bruce shrugged slightly at seeing how near the building was. He felt that he and Barbara could have walked there instead of taking the car, but knew that image mattered. So, he submitted to the drive, rather than walk the two blocks.

When they pulled in front of the building, he saw that they were in front of the handicap accessible ramp leading up to the entrance. Stepping out of the car, he saw that Alfred was already setting up Barbara’s wheelchair for her. Once it was in place, he waited while she maneuvered herself from the car into the chair. He then fell into step beside her as they made their way up the ramp and into the building. Spotting the security desk, Bruce led the way over there. One of the guards had already seen him and had two visitor’s badges ready for them.

“Good morning, Mister Wayne, Miss Gordon. If I could have you just sign in, please,” the guard said as he pointed to the tablet.

Bruce gave the man a smile as he signed. One of the perks of being Bruce Wayne was being recognized almost anywhere he went. When Barbara was done, the guard directed them to the executive elevator and that their destination was on the sixtieth floor. Upon reaching the floor, they got off the elevator and found themselves in a storm of activity. There were people scurrying from place to place, none giving them more than a passing look. Scanning through the faces, neither of them saw the two people that they had come to meet with. Bruce finally led the way towards what appeared to be the CEO’s office, thinking that perhaps they were in there.

“My apologies, Mister Wayne. Unfortunately, neither Doctor Palmer or Miss Smoak have arrived yet this morning,” the man who was sitting at a desk outside of the glass doors to the office told them. “We’ve been trying to reach them for almost an hour now, but we haven’t had any luck.”

“We can wait. Or, do you think it would be better for us to come back tomorrow?” Bruce asked.

“You’re more than welcome to wait. I’m just not sure when either of them might arrive, as this is the first time either of them has been not only this late, but also unreachable as well.”

“I see.”

With that, Bruce went and took a seat along the wall. Barbara had heard all of that and was already busy on her laptop. Linking into the Batcave’s computers gave her all of the processing power that she needed. A moment later and she was back into the same systems she’d hacked last night to help Bruce with his patrol of the city. She pulled up a grid map of Starling City as well as the traffic cameras between the address that they had for Felicity and the Palmer Technologies building. Fortunately for them, her home was near a corner, so she could see the blonde walk to the car that came to pick her up. Barbara captured the license plate number and ran it through the system, finding it registered to Palmer Technologies.

Tracking the car was relatively easy and nothing stood out until it missed the turn that would put it on the most direct route to the presumed destination. Instead, it headed towards the docks and stopped near a warehouse. Bruce and Barbara watched as the driver got out and then four figures came out of the warehouse as the man opened the back door of the car. Two of them stood a kind of guard as the other two pulled the limp bodies of Ray Palmer and Felicity Smoak from the back of the car. She could see his expression tighten as he took in the uniforms of the abductors and she wondered if hers had done the same. Because those uniforms looked very similar to those worn by the League of Assassins.

“Talia,” was all Bruce whispered to her and it was more than enough.

Barbara well knew the history between Bruce and Talia al Ghul. Talia was the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul. She was also the ex-wife of Bruce Wayne, having been married to him by her father. Ra’s had wanted Bruce to be his Heir and had tried using his feelings for Talia to accomplish that. While that hadn’t happened, it didn’t change the fact that the pair loved one another. What had ended their marriage was Talia’ growing concerns for his safety after Bruce had nearly died for her. At the same time that she had ended her relationship with Bruce, she had also walked away from her father and the League. Barbara suspected, but couldn’t prove, that this was because Talia in some way blamed her father for what had happened with Bruce.

“You think she’s involved,” Barbara whispered back.

“When she left her father, she formed her own group modeled on the teachings of the League. Those uniforms are the same as her group wore the last time I saw her.”

“So, then the question becomes why?”

Bruce didn’t have an answer for that question, because there were a hundred and one different reasons that Talia and her group might have taken either or both of them. It could be anything from ransom to industrial espionage up to killing for hire. Bruce would have to get out of here and start hunting them down if he was going to get any kind of answers. He also knew it would be tricky, going around the city dressed as Batman during the daytime, but he knew there was no way he could go up against these adversaries without every advantage he could muster.

Standing up, Bruce walked over to the desk and made their apologies. He asked that Doctor Palmer or Miss Smoak call him to reschedule the meeting once they came in. Barbara was already at the elevators when he turned and walked over. Together, they rode down to the lobby and handed in their visitors badges before heading out to the car.

“Back to the hotel, Alfred,” Bruce said.

“Very well, Master Bruce,” Alfred replied.

When they arrived back, Barbara went to her suite and got connected. She also put on her headset, so that she would be able to communicate with Bruce. As for him, he grabbed the larger of his two cases and opened it, revealing the Batsuit. With speed born of years of experience, he got dressed and outfitted. Once he was ready, he called for Oracle to take down the security cameras on their floor, as well as in the stairwell. Moving quickly, he made his way to the roof and launched himself off.

Following Oracle’s directions, Batman made his way towards the docks. He moved cautiously, taking as much care as he could not to be seen. When he finally reached the warehouse that Doctor Palmer and Miss Smoak had been traced to, he found the roof access and made his way inside. Going slowly, he searched the warehouse but found no sign of them or their captors. He was beginning a more methodical search from the bottom upwards when he felt someone watching him. Readying himself, he moved towards the center of the ground level. It was then that someone stepped up behind him. Reacting on instinct and training, he pivoted to the left and aimed a blow for their chest. At the last second, the blow was blocked, as was the next.

“Is that how you greet me now, Beloved?” Talia asked with a smile.

“It’s how I greet kidnappers, Talia,” Bruce growled.

“The kidnappers that we are looking for have already escaped. I have my men searching for them as we speak.”

“Then why was it men in your League’s uniforms that I saw on the video unloading Doctor Palmer and Miss Smoak?”

“Because they were my men, before another member corrupted them,” Talia told him.

“Explain, now,” Bruce demanded.

“One of my students has a vendetta against the Arrow, whom I am certain you know is Oliver Queen. Whilst I was away leading a mission, a source here in Starling City reported that he was here. My student lied to the person I left in charge, took a dozen others and came here. I believe that they kidnapped Miss Smoak after their attempt on Mister Queen failed, intending to use her as bait and force him to come to them.”

Bruce remained silent at that. What she was saying made a good deal of sense to him. It was also a tactic that the League had used in the past and continued to use because it was effective against most people. How quickly it was effective depended on several factors ranging from what the captors threatened to do to the kidnapped person or persons to how much of an emotional attachment the person that was the ultimate target had with those who had been taken. If what he believed was correct, then there would be some attachment between Queen and Miss Smoak. What the connection was between Queen and Palmer, other than the later buying the wreckage of what used to be Queen Consolidated and making it Palmer Technologies, that he didn’t know. So, Palmer may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, he may have been taken to keep Miss Smoak in line or he may be connected to the Arrow in some way.

Bruce was pulled from his thoughts when one of Talia’s men stepped from the shadows.

“Report!”

“We have located the vehicle they used to leave here, my lady. It is at an airport on the outskirts of the city, used for private planes,” the man reported. “We are speaking with the man who runs the airport, to get information on any planes that have left in the last three hours.”

“Very well,” Talia reported. “Hopefully, he can be persuaded quickly, before news of this reaches the wrong ears.”

“I heard everything,” Barbara told Bruce over his earpiece. “I’m hacking into the FAA and accessing the local radar systems. Also, the Batplane is in route, ETA is ninety minutes.”

“Copy that, Oracle. Keep me updated,” Bruce told her.

Little did either Bruce or Barbara know, but there was another party listening in on their communications. Bruce, because he had no way to know, and Barbara, because the person listening in wasn’t inside her system. Rather, being that they were outside of Gotham and away from the infrastructure that had been built up over the years to support Batman, they were making use of a Wayne Enterprises satellite to handle their voice channel. Barbara was also using it for a data link back to the Batcave. However, they weren’t encrypting the voice traffic. So, it passed over the satellite in the clear, which is where al-Qarasina was able to tap into it.

There was little there right now for her to act on. But, al-Qarasina was now listening in. She had also alerted Salah that something was going on in Starling that had the Batman’s attention, meaning that the League should also be alert. So, Salah contacted the Shadows that remained in the city and ordered them to be on the lookout for anything unusual. He stopped short of advising Ra’s yet, as they didn’t have enough information at the moment.

December 28, 2015

Over the Pacific Ocean

Adrian Chase sat in a comfortable seat at the rear of the plane. He was already planning his next moves, trying to stay a couple of steps ahead of both Oliver Queen and Talia. He also needed to make sure that he kept to the script that he had sold to the men assisting him, that this was a mission for their League. This was going to be difficult enough as it was, the last thing he needed would be if the men with him found out his lie and turned against him. He knew that was likely to be his one and only chance at revenge, so he needed to get it perfect. He’d already made one mistake and it had cost him dearly, another would likely be fatal.

Looking across from him, he couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips briefly. So much for the Arrow’s team, he thought as he looked at the bodies slumped unconscious in the chairs. Kidnapping them had been all too easy. One of his men had posed as a replacement driver for Doctor Palmer’s car, another as a delivery person to get inside Laurel Lance’s apartment while two men had slipped inside John Diggle’s apartment and tranquilized him as he stepped out of the bathroom, as well as Lyla Michaels. Chase had decided to leave her behind, not wanting to orphan their daughter. Beside, the woman could serve as another means of reaching Queen, because after the attack on the loft, the man and his sister had disappeared.

Now, the four were securely bound and gagged, blindfolds on so that their final destination would be a surprise. One of many surprises he had planned for them, none of which they would enjoy. But that was the point after all, making Queen suffer the way he had suffered. Suffering that could only come through hurting those that he cared about.

“We’re there,” came the voice of the pilot.

Looking out his window, Chase smiled at the sight of the island. Part of him wondered how long it would take for Queen to realize where to go. Would he have to give him a nudge in the right direction or would the man be able to figure it out by himself. Just to give him a little head start, he’d had his men leave a tablet at each of the locations. The tablets were all linked to a central account, one that he intended to post photos and videos to. In fact, he thought as he took out his phone, now would be the perfect time for the first video.

“Hello, Oliver. By now I’m sure you’ve discovered that you’re missing some friends. Sadly, they can’t say hello, they’re a little tied up right now. But rest assured, they are all in good condition, for now. How long they remain that way, well that depends on you. See, the longer it take for you to find them, the more time I have to get creative. So, you see, their suffering is all caused by how slow you are. Tick tock, tick tock.”

Chase had a laugh as he sent out the video. This was going to be fun. And even if he should lose, he would still win in a way, just by making his enemy suffer as well.

December 28, 2015

Nanda Parbat

Thea groaned as she picked herself up off the floor and got back into a fighting stance. She and Cheshire had been going at it since breakfast, with the older woman working on improving her hand-to-hand skills. And Thea did know that she was getting better, even if it was frustrating to keep ending up on her back. As for Cheshire, she smiled slightly at the younger woman. She had expected a lot more complaining, but this determination was much better for what was to come. She nodded at her student as she told her to take a break and get a drink of water.

As she went over to the side and got a drink of water, her arm was jostled causing her to spill it. She went to get another, only for someone to grab her arm and pull her back. Turning, she found herself facing a man in League uniform.

“What have we here? Who brought home the stray?” the man asked with a sneer.

Thea chose to remain silent, watching the man as he pushed past her and took a drink of his own.

“What? Think you’re some kind of princess or something? You’re not even a trainee in the League, so what are you doing here?”

“Her name is Sarie and she is here because it is the will of Ra’s al Ghul,” Cheshire said, watching them. “If you have an issue with that, I suggest you address it with him.”

“Well, at least they got your name right, Sorry,” the man said.

“The name is Sarie. Not Sorry,” Thea said glaring at the man. “Do you want me to show you how I got the name?”

Before the man could reply, Thea was already in motion. A shift knee to his groin, followed by a palm strike to his nose and then a toss over her hip. Looking down at the prone man, she placed her foot on his chest and smile.

“Did you enjoy your lesson?”

“I would suggest that all of you get back to your lessons,” Oliver said from the doorway. He had decided to take a few minutes and go for a walk, as well as use the time to check in on the daily training. He’d just happened to catch the words that had been exchanged before Thea had attacked. He certainly could not fault her actions. In fact, if she hadn’t acted, he would have. The last thing he was prepared to tolerate was members of the League questioning his decisions.

Now, he stood and watched as Cheshire trained his sister. Watching them, he felt even more certain that he had made the right decision when he’d assigned Cheshire and Artemis to train Thea and Roy. In only two days, he could already see a marked improvement in his sister and doubted that Roy would be any different. Still, he stood there and watched for a few minutes more as Cheshire attacked and Thea defended, before reversing roles. Watching Thea attack, he could see Cheshire give her tips here and there. Oliver fought down the smile as he turned and walked off.

Passing several other training rooms, Oliver would stop and look in for a moment or two. Yes, he was consciously avoiding the stack of paperwork on his desk. And yes, he knew that was not the best course of action. But, he also knew that as Ra’s, he needed to know how the training of the League’s members was going. Not that he expected any of those conducting the training to slack off just because he wasn’t there. They all knew the potential penalties for failure, after all.

Reaching the end of the hall, Oliver turned to take another hall that led back towards the main hall and his office. Now, however, a smile did come to his face as he heard a familiar voice. Moving quickly, he reached a smaller training room and slid around the edge of the doorway. There was Nyssa, standing on the far side of the room, a smirk on her face. She caught his eye and that smirk got a little wider. On the floor below her was Helena, sprawled out on her back. And while Nyssa looked cool and collected, Helena looked like she’d been put through the ringer.

“When Ta-er al-Sahfer sent you here, I had assumed that meant she believed you had a measure of skill. Yet, I fail to see it,” Nyssa said as she stepped forward and nudged the other woman with her boot.

With a grunt, Helena got up off the floor and attacked again. It was uncoordinated, her anger taking over and causing her to lash out. Nyssa easily blocked the attack, then tossed her over her hip and back onto the floor.

“Crude and slow. Your attack was no better than that of a clumsy child.”

“I see the training goes well,” Oliver said sarcastically.

“Is there even a point to this, other than for her to beat me up?” Helena asked.

“Yes. The point is to get you to let go of your anger, your hatred. As long as they control you, I will always be able to beat you. Once you master them, then I will be able to teach you how to beat me. Both my Husband and my Beloved have spoken of the damage your hatred has caused in the past, when you were lashing out at everything, not caring about the innocent lives you endangered,” Nyssa told her.

Helena took a moment to process what Nyssa had just told her. In many ways, it was similar to what Oliver had tried to tell her when he had attempted to train her himself. Yet, for some reason, she was willing to accept those words from this woman. Then, something else clicked for her.

“He’s your husband?”

“Yes. I am Nyssa, wife of Ra’s al Ghul, Bride of the Demon.”

“You know, maybe later we can talk about how good in bed he….”

Faster than she would have considered possible, Helena found the tip of a dagger in her mouth.

“One does not need the ability to speak to be a good assassin. Another word on that subject and I will gladly remove your tongue,” Nyssa said with a glare. “He is my husband as well as Ra’s al Ghul and you will respect both of those things.”

Oliver wanted to smile at that, but held it in. He knew if he did smile, it would only serve to anger both of the women, if for different reasons. Instead, he stepped closer to Nyssa and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. Once she turned to look at him, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and a smirk.

“I’ll leave you to continue your teaching. Just a word of caution. I like that robe, so try not to get too much blood on it. I’ll see you later.”

With that, Oliver left the room and headed back to his office, so that he could continue his work for the day. Back in the room, Nyssa was momentarily befuddled, not having expected Oliver to kiss her, even if it was on the cheek. Snapping back to herself, she removed the dagger from Helena’s mouth and put it away. She then motioned for Helena to attack and the pair got back to their training session.

December 28, 2015

Lian Yu

Felicity panicked when she first came awake. Her first thought was why was it so dark if she was awake, like darker than the darkest night she could remember in Starling. It was when she tried to move that the first jolt of concern hit her. Something stopped her from going anywhere. She tried to move her hands, but found that they wouldn’t come down from where they were over her head. Now, she felt something around her wrists, as well as something on her ankles and on her neck.

A noise off to her left got her to try to turn her head in that direction, for all the good that did. She tried to call out, only to discover two disconcerting things. Firstly, she was gagged and rather effectively, she realized as all she heard was something of a murmur. Second, even that was more noise than she was permitted, as a shock drove a wail from her which resulted in another, bigger shock. This became a cycle for a few minutes, as she’d be shocked, wail, shocked, wail until she fainted from exhaustion.

“Well, that was certainly entertaining,” came a man’s voice, as she slowly came back to herself. “Not even five minutes awake and you’ve already learned one of the features of your new jewelry, love.”

That voice, she knew that voice from somewhere. But her mind was all muddled from the aftereffects of being drugged as well as those shocks. She tried to fight through them, to think and focus. She wished that she could see, as she forced her eyelids open only to again be confronted by the sheer blackness. With that, she realized it must be a blindfold.

“You really are quite lovely. I can see why the kid was so taken with you, his Felicity.”

She couldn’t help herself, as she tried to jerk away not only from the voice, but also the hand that stroked her cheek. The fog in her mind cleared suddenly, as the words and the voice combined. Now she remembered that voice, for she had heard words similar to those once before. And with that remembrance came an overriding terror. She couldn’t stop herself as she tried to escape her bindings, thrashing in the darkness that engulfed her with no means of escape.

“Still yourself, Miss Smoak,” came a different voice. “You’ll only do yourself an injury if you continue jerking around like a fish in a net. Those chains were made to hold much stronger men than you, so you will only get out of them if we permit it. Come, Mister Wilson. We must see to the others, but don’t worry. We’ll be back later to attend to you.”

Felicity shivered as she felt the hand give her one last caress before pulling away. Then, she heard what sounded like a cell door shut with a clang, followed by a door that reminded her of the one to the old lair under Verdant. Solid metal against metal. She couldn’t be sure if she was all alone, or if there was somebody watching her. She couldn’t call out, not now that she knew about the shock collar that she wore. She didn’t think she could withstand experiencing that again any time soon, the pain had been worse than anything she’d ever felt before.

Lost in the darkness and silence, her mind fell into a spiral of thoughts. Where had she been taken to and how had Slade Wilson gotten there? With the team finished, was there anyone to rescue her? If Oliver found out about this, would he even care? Felicity had to fight to keep from sobbing, as her thoughts pulled her deeper and deeper into depression.


	27. You Mess With The Bull...

December 28, 2015

Starling City

Al-Qarasina sat in front of her computer monitors, her hands flying over the keyboards. She was currently inside the communications between Batman and Oracle, waiting to find out more regarding the airport and whatever plane might have been used. The problem that they seemed to be running into was that whoever was behind this was reasonable intelligent. Three flights had left the airport, virtually at the same time. All three had filed as visual flight rules and none of them had turned on their transponders. Without the transponders active, there was no way to track them.

She was also inside the SCPD systems, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She was already inside ARGUS’s systems using the backdoor she and An-Nur had created after Waller had been eliminated. They’d been right to expect that somebody would revamp their systems, so they had lost access temporarily while that was being done. Once the script kiddies that ARGUS had hired to build their new firewalls were done, it had taken them about three minutes to tunnel through and recreate their backdoor access.

It was the ARGUS system that gave her the first indication that something more, something worse was going on. One of the things al-Qarasina had memorized before coming to Starling City had been the names of everyone associated with Ra’s al Ghul. She’d needed to, so that she could keep an eye on them, especially the ones that were a part of their vigilante team. So, when she saw the names Lyla Michaels and John Diggle pop up, she turned her attention to that monitor and focused. Reading through the report quickly, she grabbed for her cell phone.

“Yes, al-Qarasina?” Salah asked.

“There’s a report in ARGUS that John Diggle has been kidnapped,” al-Qarasina told him.

“Who filed the report?”

“Miss Michaels. Whoever took him knocked her out, but left her behind. They also left a tablet, which is in ARGUS’s possession. As soon as I can, I’ll try to access it and see if I can clone it onto my system.”

“Very well. Let me know once that is done,” Salah said before hanging up the phone. He then dialed another number.

“I need to speak to the Demon’s Head, urgently.”

“One moment,” the voice on the other end of the phone announced.

“Speak,” Oliver said as he got on the phone after a brief walk from his office.

“This is Salah, my Lord. I need to report that John Diggle, Felicity Smoak and Ray Palmer have been kidnapped today. At this time we do not know who was responsible or where they have been taken. Al-Qarasina is trying to get access to a tablet that was left behind when Mister Diggle was taken.”

“There are any number of persons who could be responsible for this. Put all of your resources into tracking down who is behind this, so that we might know if this is a threat to the League.”

“As you command, my Lord. You should know that the Batman is aware of the kidnappings of Miss Smoak and Mister Palmer and that when he tracked them, he encountered Lady Talia,” Salah reported.

“Do you know the reason she is in Starling City?” Oliver asked, trying to process this information. What was Talia doing there so soon after the failed attempt at Thea’s? Something told him that there was much that they were missing.

“From what we could hear over the Batman’s communications channel, it seems she is there tracking down a rogue group of her students.”

“Keep a close eye on her and the Batman.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Salah said as Oliver hung up the phone barely registering the last words.

Oliver left the communications center and walked through the fortress, looking for two people in particular. The problem was, they could be in a whole host of different places. As he realized that, he stopped and turned instead for his office. Once there, he ordered that Nyssa and Ta-er al-Sahfer come see him. While he waited, he tried to figure out what the various pieces of the puzzle meant. The fact that Felicity and Dig were both taken on the same day felt like someone was targeting the team, while the attack at the loft had seemed to be an attack on him personally as Ra’s. But there was just something in the back of his mind that said these had to be related in some fashion.

“You wanted to see us, Husband,” Nyssa said as she came through the doorway, Sara on her heels.

“Yes. I have a puzzle that needs solving,” Oliver said as he looked up at that. “Felicity and John were kidnapped today by parties unknown, according to Salah. He also reports that both Talia and the Batman are in Starling City, with Talia supposedly hunting a group of her students that went rogue.”

“Do you think anyone else might be in danger?” Sara asked.

“If you mean Laurel, I would say it is possible.”

“What are your plans, Husband?”

“For the moment, nothing. We don’t know who took them, where they were taken to if anywhere, or why they were taken. I don’t like the fact that Talia’s in Starling, but that could be solely related to the attack at the loft. If I take the League there, it could make matters worse. Or, this could all be a feint designed to draw us away from here before an attack.”

“I don’t think the later is likely,” Nyssa told him. “Our numbers here preclude a straight forward attack. Drawing you away only works if they believe that you would walk into such a trap. Yes, the bait is nice, but will the mouse try to get it?”

Oliver took a moment and thought about that. If this had been a year ago, there would have been no question of him going after them. They were his team, his family. But now, there wasn’t that level of attachment to them, not after the way they had treated him. That being said, if this was his fault, he couldn’t leave them to suffer for his failings.

“My apologies, my Lord,” an assassin called from the doorway. “Salah is on the telephone. They have access to the system and he says you need to see what they’ve found.”

“Thank you,” Oliver said as he stood up. Together, the trio walked to the communications center. The large display had a paused video on it, which he was certain was what Salah wanted to talk to them about. Going to the phone, he put it on speakerphone and turned so that he could watch the display.

“Begin, Salah.”

“My Lord. Al-Qarasina was able to get access to the tablet ARGUS recovered. She found two video files, as well as an account that the device is linked to. The videos are being forwarded automatically to this tablet and several others, based on what she has found. The first video is ready to be played,” Salah told him.

“Do so,” Oliver ordered and in a moment, it began.

“Hello, Oliver. By now I’m sure you’ve discovered that you’re missing some friends. Sadly, they can’t say hello, they’re a little tied up right now. But rest assured, they are all in good condition, for now. How long they remain that way, well that depends on you. See, the longer it take for you to find them, the more time I have to get creative. So, you see, their suffering is all caused by how slow you are. Tick tock, tick tock,” came a man’s voice, one he didn’t recognize. What Oliver, Sara and Nyssa did recognize were the faces of Laurel, Felicity, Dig and Ray. The background was probably an airplane, Oliver guessed, but the inside of one airplane wasn’t that different than another, meaning it likely wouldn’t be useful in telling them where the victims were.

“Play the second video.”

As it started and he saw Felicity, a sense of dread crept in. Seeing her in chains, her arms stretched above her head while her legs were fastened to the floor. The gag in her mouth stifling that voice, that part of her that was so uniquely Felicity. Her blue eyes hidden behind the blindfold. The thought of her suffering in darkness, utterly unable to protect herself even with an angry glare pained him.

However, it was when she tried to speak that Oliver and the others realized the true evil of her predicament. Her captors hadn’t even had to lift a finger and she was already wailing and writhing in agony for the electric shocks. But it was the voice that came next that froze Oliver. A voice he would never be able to forget, a voice that haunted his nightmares. Nyssa didn’t recognize it, but Sara clearly did given the way she paled and clinched her fist. And with that voice, things just got so much worse.

They could clearly see that Felicity recognized the voice as well, watching her thrash around in a vain attempt to get free. Watching as Slade stroked his fingers down her cheek and her trying to pull away. Watching her shiver as the camera pulled away, then the recording stopped. But that last image of Felicity, that was going to stick with him for a while. Because deep down, he knew that this was all his fault. He didn’t know what he’d done to cause it, just that he had. Fighting the pull to go down that path of self-recrimination, Oliver took several deep breaths and forced himself to focus on the now.

“Was there anything else on the tablet, Salah? Any way to trace it or the videos when they are uploaded?” Oliver asked.

“I’m actually working on that, my Lord,” al-Qarasina answered. “If I get anything, I will inform Salah and yourself immediately.”

“Thank you, al-Qarasina. Your work is appreciated. Anything on the Batman?”

“He and Oracle as still trying to track down the airplanes. Lady Talia and her men are still in the city. I believe she and the Batman are working with each other,” Salah told him.

“Very well. Continue to monitor them and advise me of any developments,” Oliver ordered. “Also, al-Qarasina, hack into ARGUS. I need to know the last time their guards on Lian Yu reported in.”

“Yes, my Lord. Give me one minute.”

Oliver and the others waited, as they could hear the sound of her typing in the background.

“So, the last check-in was on the twenty-sixth. They were scheduled for one today, but looks like they missed the first two windows,” al-Qarasina said.

“So, whoever is behind this broke Slade out. You should have killed him when you had the chance,” Sara said bitterly. This was twice that her sister was in the clutches of Slade Wilson, all because Oliver had been unwilling to do what was necessary. Not this time. This time, she would take care of removing Slade’s head because there was no way he would come back from that.

“Get access to ARGUS’s satellites, NRO, I don’t care. I need eyes on Lian Yu,” Oliver said.

“Understood. Is there anything specific I’m looking for?”

“Any signs of visitors. Salah, I will need you to reach out to Talia and ask that she and the Batman meet me. I’ll leave here in about an hour.”

“As you command, my Lord,” Salah told him.

Oliver hung up the phone at that point. He needed to move quickly, so that he could end this just as quickly. He could see the looks on Nyssa and Sara’s faces, yet both were too disciplined to question him in front of others. Turning, he walked out of the communications center and made his way back to his office. Once they were inside as well, Oliver closed the door and sat down behind his desk.

“Why do you wish to meet with Talia, Husband?” Nyssa asked.

“To make sure that she isn’t the one actually behind this. I want Bruce there as an intermediary, to keep either of us from doing something stupid. At least until we’ve heard one another out.”

“Are you going to be willing to do what is necessary this time?” Sara asked, fighting to keep her tone from bordering on disrespectful.

“If you mean put Slade in the ground if it comes to that, yes,” Oliver said bluntly. “I tried to save him after his Siege and locked him up on Lian Yu. Malcolm freed him and sent me and Thea there to train. When he told me what he’d done, he said it was to force me to rediscover my killer instinct. Thea had a gun to his head and I talked her out of shooting him, because I felt like I’d failed him. Now, he’s back again, threatening the lives of those we care about. This time, there is no second chance unless he straight up surrenders.”

“I can live with that, as long as you keep you promise.”

“So, who is going with you, Husband?”

“I think Cheshire can be spared from training for a few days, so her and the team that went to Moscow with me, plus you and Sara. We’ll have Artemis work with Thea, Roy, Sin and Helena on archery while we’re gone.”

“Very well. I will inform them about the assignments,” Nyssa said.

“We’ll meet at the entrance in thirty minutes. Bring everything,” Oliver replied, then leaving the room to go and collect his things as well as to change into his uniform and armor. Once he had that done, he considered going and seeing Thea. In the end, he decided against it, not having the time to listen to why she thought she should go with him and to argue about why she must stay. So instead, he walked to the entrance to Nanda Parbat and waited while the others came. When they were assembled, he led the way out of the fortress and onto the path leading to the League’s airfield.

December 29, 2015

Lian Yu

Felicity was tired and sore, as she hung from her wrists. She’d given in to exhaustion twice, she thought. Both times she’d been forced awake when her legs had given way and all of her weight had ended up on her arms. The pain in her shoulders had unfortunately gotten a moan from her, which activated the shock collar and driven her back into the cycle of wailing and terrible pain. Her throat hurt from how much she’d screamed, not to mention how dry it was getting. She wondered how long it had been since she’d last had something to eat or drink, but had no way to gauge the passage of time while locked inside her dark world.

Felicity stilled when she heard the sound of the door unlocking. She was terrified as to what it meant. She didn’t want to hope, hope for something to fill her stomach, hope for some relief to her arms, hope for this damned collar to be taken off. She was learning something that she suspected Oliver knew from his time on the island, that hope could be a killer. So, she tried to not hope, yet she couldn’t control her mind and what it and her body wanted.

She stiffened when she felt the hand on her cheek, the way it caressed her. Then she felt the hand slowly slide down from her cheek, past her neck and that collar until it met the collar of the pale pink blouse she’d put on for work. She fought back the sob that threatened to break free, knowing the price that she would pay if she let it loose to the world. It took all of her willpower not to give into it as she felt the hand slowly undo the buttons on her blouse, followed by the cold air against her skin. Goosebumps marked her skin now, but whether they were from the cold or terror was unknowable.

“Be very still now, Felicity,” Slade said softly into her ear. “If you move, I may cut you instead of the blouse. And it would be a shame to mar such beautiful skin.”

As he said that, she could feel something against her arm. It was hard and cold, she could tell. Then, the weight of the blouse on her left side was gone. And this time, she couldn’t stop herself, the sob escaped before she could will it back. Slade stepped back as the shock hit her, sending her thrashing against the chains. He watched with a smirk on his face until she was done, then he quickly cut through the other sleeve while she slumped in the chains. Kneeling down, he unhooked the chains holding her legs, then turned her to face the wall before refastening her legs.

Standing, he looked over at Adrian Chase, who was silently standing and recording this, just as he had done when they’d done this with Laurel Lance. He had to give it to Sara’s sister, she was tougher than she looked. She had managed to hold back until the next part, when the pain had ripped screams from her, just as they would do to Felicity, given how just the removal of her top had caused her to sob. Still, he took the cat and shook the leather out, then drew his arm back and let it fly. The impact was followed by a muffled scream, then her body seized as the shock collar activated.

Chase stood there watching, a huge smile on his face. He knew this would get to Oliver, would hopefully drive his anger. He wanted to torment the man, to break him down psychologically before the physical confrontation took place. This would be an excellent second step he though, watching as Slade administered the next lash. The agony was clear, even with the gag, the screams were plainly heard.

“She screams beautifully, doesn’t she Oliver,” Chase said. “I hope when this is all over, she remembers who’s to blame for all of this. The scars she'll have on her porcelain skin, the pain she's enduring. That it was all because of you. If she had never met you, she wouldn’t be here right now. She’d be in some anonymous nine to five job, going home to her apartment and enjoying her ‘Doctor Who’ and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Or maybe she and Doctor Palmer would be married now, instead of only dating because she wasted so much time on you. Oh well, she’s learning a valuable lesson, to never trust a murderer. Because that’s what you are, Oliver. You’re a murderer.”

Chase shut off the camera at that, then uploaded the videos of Laurel and Felicity. Oh, how he wished he could be there to see Oliver Queen’s face when he saw these. Now, to give the ladies some time to recover before they moved on to the next step. While that was going on, there would be plenty of time to get the two men in place. He wanted to make sure everything was ready for the grand finale, because he planed for it to be killer.

December 29, 2015

Starling City

Talia and Bruce stood on a rooftop, looking out over the city. In his ear, he could hear Barbara talking about what she had managed to find. For the moment, all that they could do was wait. Salah had arranged a time with Talia when they had spoken, but left it to Talia to chose the location. That was why there was a fire inside an oil drum going behind them, the wood soaked in a special solution so that the smoke would be purple in color. Bruce recognized that from his time training with the League, it was a call to meet.

“How long do you think your father will keep us waiting?” Bruce asked.

“It will not be my father who is joining us, Beloved,” Talia told him.

“You said that Ra’s al Ghul requested a meeting with us?”

“My father was defeated. The man who did so is now Ra’s al Ghul.”

Bruce was shocked. He had always considered Talia’s father to be virtually immortal, as well as unbeatable. Yes, he had won skirmishes against the man and the League, but never the war. Ra’s was a master strategist, able to see far behind most other men. He was also a warrior of extreme skill, elite even in the ranks of the League. How had he been not just defeated, but killed? For Bruce was certain that when Talia said he had been defeated, she meant that he had been killed because whoever the new Ra’s is, he would have to know that was the only way to ascend to Ra’s. It was why Bruce had turned it down when Ra’s had made the offer to him, to be his heir. Bruce wasn’t prepared to take that next step, so he had turned away from the League and forged his own path to save the city he loved.

“He’s here,” Talia said suddenly, pulling Bruce from his thoughts.

Turning away from the city, they faced the rooftop and tried to see into the shadows. After a moment, a man stepped forward. Bruce judged them to be about the same height. He could see the slung bow, the quiver on his back and the sword by his side, yet the man’s arms were held out to the sides, hands open. He recognized it for what it was, that the man had come in peace but was prepared for war if they made it necessary.

“I don’t have much time, so shall we skip the pleasantries,” Oliver said from beneath the hood.

“Why did you wish to see us?” Bruce asked.

“Several reasons. Firstly, to see what information you have on the kidnapping of Felicity Smoak and Ray Palmer that we might not have. Second, to possibly ask your help in getting them and others back. If you do not wish to help, then to get you to stand aside while I do what is necessary.”

Bruce grimaced at that, because he knew what that meant. The League was going to slaughter whoever was behind this. He couldn’t, wouldn’t be party to that, yet he also couldn’t leave the victims to possibly get caught in the middle of the coming bloodbath. Talia laid her hand on his arm and when he looked at her, she nodded her head.

“Agreed,” Talia said. “We were able to trace them to an airfield outside the city. Three flights left shortly after they arrived. We were able to find and eliminate two of the flights, but the third plane disappeared. It didn’t arrive at the filed destination, nor were we able to find it at any airport within a thousand miles of Starling City.”

“Appreciated. Now, my only question is can I trust you, Talia? Because these men wear the same uniforms as you do. So, tell me why I shouldn’t believe that you are the one ultimately behind this?” Oliver asked.

“They wear the same uniforms because they are my students, but I did not send them. One of my students has his own vendetta against you. He used a time that I was away to leave the monastery with twelve others, telling them that this was a mission I assigned to him. When I returned and found them gone, I came here to try to stop them. But by that time, they had already staged the attack at your sister’s loft and taken Miss Smoak and Mister Palmer.”

It took Bruce only a moment to process that information, then his eyes widened a little and his jaw set. Of all the possible candidates, Oliver Queen was probably the last one he would have picked to become Ra’s al Ghul. He had a million questions about the hows and whys, but he suppressed them, knowing that this wasn’t the time. He tensed a little when he saw Oliver’s hand go beneath his robe, only for him to pull out a tablet. He watched him tap at it for a moment, then it was turned to him and Talia.

“Is this the student?”

“Yes, that is. His name is Adrian Chase,” Talia said.

“Do you know why he has this vendetta against me?” Oliver asked.

“He told me that you murdered his father.”

Oliver didn’t know. He couldn’t think of anyone by the name of Chase that he had targeted, but just because he didn’t remember didn’t mean it hadn’t happened. Then again, the reason for this wasn’t a concern right now. Rescuing Felicity and the others was and that was what he needed to focus on right now.

“Since this seems to be aimed at you, do you have any ideas as to where they are?” Bruce asked.

“Yes, actually I do. See,” Oliver said as he pulled up another image on the tablet, “this is Slade Wilson, also called Deathstroke. After his Siege two years ago, I had him locked up in a secret prison on Lian Yu. Now, here he is in the second video that was uploaded. Also, the guards on Lian Yu missed their check-in. I think that Chase went to Lian Yu, maybe he knew Slade was there, maybe he found out after he reached the island. Either way, the two of them are now working together.”

“When do we leave?” Talia asked.

“We need a plan first. Something more than, reach the island and kill everything that moves.”

“So, what is your plan, Beloved?”

“I’ll take the Batplane and do recon, give you and Ra’s a better idea of what you’re walking into,” Bruce said.

“And they won’t notice you loitering over the island in your jet?” Oliver asked.

“Why would they, considering you haven’t.”

Oliver was about to say something back when a black shape passed over them. He looked up as it went by, just barely making its dimensions out as the black paint blended well against the evening sky. He had to give Bruce that much, nobody would see that coming. Nor were they likely to hear it, for the plane was surprisingly quiet as well. Looking at Bruce, he marveled at the stoic expression on the man’s face.

“So, you’ll handle intelligence and we’ll take care of the fight on the ground?”

Bruce thought about that and realized that he was being offered an out, in a manner of speaking. If he stayed in the air and just gave them information, then he wasn’t a part of killing those on the ground. Yet, his information would be responsible for their deaths, wouldn’t it? No, because even if he refused, he had the feeling that the League was still going to be going in. So, instead, he decided to focus on the positives, on the fact that by being their eyes, he might make the rescue safer for the hostages.

“Agreed. After this is all over, we need to talk,” Bruce said.

“No, we really don’t. Your deal with the League stands, Batman. We stay out of Gotham and you stay out of our business. This is a one-time exception, due to the situation at hand. Do not mistake it for opening renegotiation of the deal,” Oliver said, his tone darker.

“Very well. I am still going to be curious about how you became Ra’s al Ghul, though.”

“Be careful, that you curb that curiosity. I wouldn’t want it to be the death of you.”

Whatever Bruce was going to say to that died when Oliver turned and jumped off the roof. A moment later and he could see him swinging into the night. Talia paused to kissed him before she followed, leaving him standing all alone.

“Did he just threaten you?” Barbara’s voice came over his communications device.

“Yes, he did,” Bruce said. “Land the Batplane and I’ll join you. We’ve got a long flight ahead of us, it seems.”


	28. You Get The Horns

December 29, 2015

Over the Pacific Ocean

Oliver was sitting just behind the cockpit of the cargo plane that was taking them towards Lian Yu. Cracking open an eye, he could see Nyssa and Sara sitting next to each other, then a little space between them and where Cheshire and the other League members. All the way at the back sat Talia, separated by choice on her part.

Talia had been upset when they’d reached the airport and he had told her that none of her people were coming with them. She hadn’t accepted his reasoning, that they wore the same uniforms as their enemy and it would be all to easy for Chase to use that confusion against them. What Oliver hadn’t said, but which she had heard loud and clear, was that he didn’t trust her. He remembered that she had been upset that he had become Ra’s and he knew she coveted that title for herself. He felt it would be too easy for her to have one of her students put an arrow in his back while he was focused on the battle at hand. It would be easier to keep an eye on just her.

A beep sounded next to him, drawing Oliver’s attention to the tablet. He’d watched the videos a couple of time already, looking for any clues as to where on the island they were. He knew from his time there that there were several options, even with how small the island was. He just had to hope that the Batman would be able to point them in the right direction.

Picking up the tablet, he found that two new videos had come in. Selecting the first one, he started it only to pause it seconds later. Taking a breath, Oliver stood and walked over to where Sara and Nyssa sat. Barely looking at them, he sat down on the other side of Sara and showed them the tablet. Only their training in the League kept them from gasping as they saw Laurel this time, Slade to the side of her, just barely in the picture. Together, they watched the video and the other one, the only outward sign of what they were witnessing was a hardening around the eyes and the white knuckles that gripped the tablet and a bo staff.

“He’s mine,” Sara said when the second video finally ended. “You can have Chase, but Slade is mine.”

“Just as long as you remember the reason we’re going there. They come first, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Oliver reminded her. “Once they’re safe, every single person on that island will be reminded of the power of the League.”

“I agree with him, Beloved. Do not allow your desire for vengeance to cloud your judgment, either of you,” Nyssa said quietly.

“That’s why we have you there, Nyssa. You’ll keep us focused.”

“So, how are you planning for us to get on the island, Husband?”

“There’s a landing strip, or there was when I was there. Fyers used it for resupply flights, which were in planes much like this. So we should be able to land there. The problems begin once we’re there. Firstly, there are landmines all over the island, so watch you step. Second, we don’t know how far they are from where we’ll land. Hopefully, our ally will be able to assist with that. Lastly, they have the advantage of being there first, having time to prepare. Even with the Batman’s assistance, we will be forced to deal with a number of unknowns,” Oliver told them.

“Then, we will simply have to remain alert and trust to our training,” Nyssa said. “Now, I think we should rest until we are closer to the island.”

Oliver looked at her dubiously, but knew she was right. Being tired when they arrived would lead to mistakes, mistakes that Chase or Slade could capitalize on. Yet, try as he might, he could not really sleep. His mind was playing on a loop, between his imagination forming pictures of what the video didn’t show. Had removing their tops and flogging them only been the first act to something even worse? Would that be the next video to be sent, showing Slade, Chase or even both of them doing that to Felicity? To Laurel? And interspersed with those thoughts came memories of Slade, of them on the island and in Starling. He could hear Slade’s taunting words, “You cannot die until you have known complete despair. And you will, I promise.” “I keep my promises, kid. I keep my promises. I keep my promises.” Was this Slade’s way of keeping that promise?

December 30, 2015

Lian Yu

Chase walked through the clearing, a happy smile on his face as he surveyed all of the hard work that had gone into this. He had a really good feeling that the plan would work. And if it didn’t, there was also the secondary plan. He could not wait to see the look on Oliver Queen’s face when all was said and done. When the man realized exactly what had happened. He planned to savor that moment like a fine wine and then he would kill them, just like Oliver had killed his father. A beep came from his phone, drawing him from those pleasant thoughts. Taking it out, he saw he had a text.

“Queen and twenty-four others on their way. Unable to get others to join him. ETA four hours.”

Chase frowned a little at that, as just like that one of his plans was gone. They had been counting on being able to get the others in with the League, to be able to essentially sneak a force in behind their enemies and thus trap them. He wondered if somehow Oliver had sensed this, or if the man had just decided not to take any chances.

“This plan of yours is positively diabolical, Mister Chase,” Slade said as he came up behind him.

“I’m glad that you approve, Mister Wilson. And once it is over, do you think that Oliver will have known true despair?” Chase asked.

“You mean, when he realizes he had actually killed the woman he loves as well as his friends? Oh, yes. I would say that he will well and truly know despair in that moment.”

“Then, remember our deal. You get that, I get to kill him.”

“As I told the kid, I keep my promises,” Slade said, as he turned to face the scene that Chase had set up. He walked closer, taking it all in. The four covered cages, meant to make Oliver believe that was where his Felicity and the others waited. Standing near them were four members of Chase’s group. This was the trickier part, as these members didn’t move as much as they should. He knew that Chase was counting on Oliver being so desperate to reach the prisoners, to get them freed and safe, that he would adopt a shoot first and ask questions later attitude. Because these four weren’t actually Talia’s former students, in fact they had never met the woman. Instead, these were in fact Felicity, Ray, Dig and Laurel dressed in the uniforms that Chase and his men wore. Each of them had their hands fastened to a weapon, whether a bow or a sword, so as to appear armed and dangerous, a threat to be taken out.

Chase, Slade and their men would be hidden in the brush and trees surrounding the clearing. Once the ‘guards’ were eliminated, they believed that Oliver and whoever was with him would rush forward to secure their friends. At that moment, they would attack them, hoping to use the distraction to gain an additional advantage.

“My source says that they should be here in approximately four hours,” Chase said.

Slade didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his mask and stared at it for a moment before turning it around and putting it on. The mask and everything that it represented was the last step in his becoming Deathstroke. He stood there, just taking the moment to enjoy the feeling, the power. Yes, the Mirakuru was gone, but as he’d told Oliver, that wasn’t what made him hate the kid. It was the fact that another man he’d come to consider a brother had so foully betrayed him. Not only had he made the decision to save that wretch Sara instead of Shado, but then he’d lied about being responsible. The arrow through the eye hadn’t hurt half as much as finding out that the kid had let the woman he loved die. Well, soon he would have the pleasure of watching the woman Oliver loved die, only it wouldn’t be by his hand. The fault would be Oliver’s and Oliver’s alone.

December 30, 2015

Batplane over Lian Yu

Bruce sat in the pilot’s seat, monitoring the autopilot as it flew the grid search that he had programmed in while in flight. Barbara was seated at the workstation behind him, monitoring the various sensors and building a detailed map of the island. They had a decent count of how many men Chase had, plus the number of hostages. Now, it was a case of finding where they all were and then passing the information on to Ra’s. The thought gave Bruce a little pause, as he reflected on what doing that truly meant. He would then be complicit in the deaths of several people when the League attacked and while he knew why the League would kill them, it didn’t change the fact that it put him on the first step down a slippery slope.

“That should be all of them,” Barbara said as she turned her seat to face forward.

“Get it out to Queen,” Bruce told her.

“Sending it now. And done.”

“Anything we need to be concerned about?”

“Don’t know about concerned, but I am picking up some low frequency radio waves. Not the right frequency to be handheld radios, possibly remote control devices. But what for exactly, I don’t know. On our next pass, I’ll try to focus on that and see if I can figure it out,” Barbara responded.

“If necessary, can you jam the signal?” Bruce asked, thinking about what that could mean.

“I can, but I would advise against it. At least until we know more about what it is controlling or going to. What if loss of signal causes the very thing we’re trying to prevent?”

Bruce considered that as he started the plane on the next search pattern. He also watched the view outside, so he could determine the altitude to have the plane fly at. Closer to the ground would provide better resolution, while higher meant less likelihood of being seen, especially now that it was daytime. So, he was paying attention to the overcast sky and thanking whomever that the weather wasn’t all sunshine. The gloom would provide just enough darkness so that they could stay closer to the island.

With that done, he started looking at everything Barbara’s searches had found so far. He could plainly make out the cages, though they were covered by something. There were heat signatures inside of them, even if they weren’t moving. So, it was possible that they were drugged or sleeping. Bruce hoped for the later, as if they were drugged to the point of unconsciousness, that would mean someone would have to carry them and that could be problematical given the terrain. Watching the recording, he noted as well that there were four stationary figures and marked them down as guards for the hostages. The rest seemed to move around freely, yet kept a little distance from the cages and the guards standing there.

“The plane carrying the League is thirty minutes out,” Barbara said.

“Keep one camera on the clearing, but focus the rest on the landing strip. We need to make certain that it is clear.”

“I’ll give it a careful look, but like I said before. There is no disturbed dirt, so no mines. Nothing obstructing the strip and it looks like something landed there recently.”

So, Chase and his people probably used the strip to arrive as well. Good to know. But, if there was no plane there, then how were they planning to leave the island? Could they have something set up for the plane to return at some point? Or perhaps they were planning to take the ARGUS supply ship and use that to get to China, Taiwan or something like that? Bruce personally discounted the ship, as it just struck him as too slow, too easy to catch. Especially when you have the focus of the League on you, as it was on Chase and those with him. So, what was his plan for after, Bruce wondered. He had to have one, didn’t he, because this didn’t feel like some elaborate suicide attempt, a type of ‘suicide by cop’. Bruce sat back and thought about that, trying to get an idea of what the endgame was here, but nothing he could come up with made sense. Something was missing, but he didn’t know what that something was.

“They’re here,” Barbara said.

December 30, 2015

Lian Yu

Oliver braced himself as the plane landed. Yes, he knew that there were no surprises waiting thanks to the Batman’s intelligence. But that didn’t change the fact that this was Lian Yu and he had too many memories associated with this place to ever be completely comfortable here. So, he had to force himself to do a brief meditation in order to center himself.

He and Sara had briefed the others on what they could likely expect while on the island, paying particular attention to the issue of landmines and booby traps. Between Yao Fei, Slade and himself, there were likely hundreds of traps designed to protection or to catch game for them to eat. Most were designed for rabbit, things like that. Some were meant for larger animals, whether four-legged or two. So, everyone would have to be focused.

“Well, they definitely heard the plane landing,” Barbara said over the communications channel. “Everybody but the four guards close to the cages has left the clearing and taken up defensive positions.”

“Thank you, Oracle. We’ll be on the move in five,” Oliver said.

Walking off the back of the plane, Oliver found everyone formed up and ready to move. Cheshire and another League member would be on point, leading the way while also making sure that their path was clear. Oliver, Sara and Nyssa would be scattered in the group that would follow. Taking a good look at the group, he frowned when he didn’t see Talia at first. Then, he saw her come from the other side of the plane and the frown deepened. Catching Sara’s eye, he could see that she had noticed this as well. A moment of silent communication followed between the two, followed by an imperceptible nod from his friend to show that she understood.

Waving a hand over his head, Oliver directed the group to move out. They had some way to go in order to reach their objective, so the less time spent just standing around the better. The pace that Cheshire set would have been punishing to anyone not trained by the League, yet at the same time, her keen eyes spotted several traps that could have injured or killed the unwary. Overall, the group was making excellent time, which began to concern Oliver even if he couldn’t put a finger on exactly why.

“Oracle, are there any hostiles headed in our direction?” Oliver asked over the communications channel.

“That would be no, Ground. It looks like they are in a crescent formation around the clearing where the cages are. I have no sign of anyone coming your way,” Barbara told him.

It was now that the nagging feeling became an alarm louder than a fire alarm. The pieces of the puzzle simply didn’t fit as being anything but a trap, but to what purpose? Did Chase really expect him to just walk right into the clearing and get cut down by whatever weapons he and his men had? No, this was someone trained by Talia and Oliver knew firsthand how good her training could be. So, he had to expect his opponents to be trained. And if Chase wasn’t, then Slade most definitely was.

While he was pondering all of that, Cheshire motioned for them to stop. Once the group had, she motioned for Oliver to come up. Nyssa and Sara followed me and when they reached her, they could all see the clearing. Looking at it firsthand, he was even more puzzled. In his time, he’d seen many men on guard duty in all manner of different situations. But these men, they didn’t act like guards. They didn’t move like guards, looking around for threats. Rather, they were stiff but also somewhat lethargic, like they didn’t have either the energy or motivation to do what they were doing. The longer that Oliver looked, the less this felt right.

As he stood there watching, trying to determine what was feeling so off about all of this, a whisper came to the back of his mind. Something that Nyssa’s father had said to him while he was in training. About how deception and theatricality were powerful agents. And as he looked at the clearing once more, those words slammed to the forefront of his mind. Looking closer, he noticed details that had initially escaped him. One in particular was glaring and made Oliver want to vomit as he realized what could have happened, what Chase wanted to happen. How one of the ‘guards’ was smaller, petite in fact.

“Welcome home, Oliver,” came Chase’s voice booming across the clearing. “I know you’re there, so show yourself.”

Oliver took a moment to tell Nyssa, Sara and Cheshire what he had noticed, then he slung his bow and stepped out into the clearing. He trusted them to do what they had to do, to make sure that Felicity and the others were safe. He would do his part, by keeping Chase’s focus on him.

“You wanted me, Chase. Well, here I am. My only question is why?” Oliver asked.

“Because you’re a murderer, Oliver. And it is time for everybody close to you to know that. Everything you touch, dies eventually. Your father, Yao Fei, Shado, Akio, Tommy, your mother, Sara. Who’s going to be next? Next to join that list of those who you’ve killed just from your presence? Will it be Laurel, the woman you kept on a string for so long? Maybe it will be John Diggle, your friend, your ally? Perhaps it’ll be Ray Palmer, the man who stole your family’s company and even your girl? Or will it be Felicity, the woman you said you loved? Tick tock, Oliver, tick tock.”

“None of them. None of them will die today.”

“Well, the only way to stop that is by showing that you are what I said you are, a murderer. Oh, and just in case your friends decide that they want to use this as an opportunity to rescue your friends, I would advise against it. See, that collar that you saw the lovely Felicity wearing, it was made by Winnick Norton. I’m sure you remember him and what his collars can do. I just had him add the shock feature for fun, as well as a proximity sensor. Now, those collars are armed and I have the only remote that can disarm them. So, you see, you can get them out of their cages, but only I can truly free them,” Chase said with a smirk. “And all you have to do for that freedom is kill me and the guards in front of the cages.”

With that, Chase removed his sword from its scabbard and stepped into the clearing. Oliver directed all of his focus towards the other man, as he removed his own sword. He settled himself into his stance and waited. It was one of the first things he’d learned from Nyssa’s father, the importance of being patient. Letting your opponent strike first, while you look for weaknesses and opportunities. Allow their emotions to drive them into mistakes and then capitalize.

Chase stood there and looked across at Oliver before rushing forward and making a powerful slash towards his chest. It was blocked, as was the next cut. Oliver forced the blades low, then pivoted around the other man. A stab at his chest was knocked to the side, followed by a slash of his own forcing Chase to step back. Oliver’s face was serene, his breathing even. Chase was showing anger, his breaths coming quickly as he put more and more into each attempt. Then, Oliver made a mistake and left an opening after he blocked. Chase looked positively gleeful as he went to take advantage, only to find his arm caught and Oliver’s blade slabbing into his side.

Chase jerked back after that, feeling the effects of the wound. Not just the pain, but also the blood flowing freely. The wound wouldn’t kill him, unless it was left untreated. No, the danger was the blood loss making him weaker. He had to do something about this and quickly. Pushing back the pain, he forced himself to focus on Oliver. He would have his revenge, he told himself. So, he moved forward and tried another slash, his anger increasing at how easily it was blocked. Then, he was cut again, this time a gash to his left thigh that almost opened his leg to the bone.

As for Oliver, his sole focus was to make Chase pay. To make him suffer, as Felicity and Laurel had suffered. So, he was going to take his time with this. He’d known in the first moments of the fight that Chase would not be a match for him. That he could take his time and as long as he didn’t get overconfident, he would win. He didn’t pay attention to the rest of the fight that had started to take place, as Nyssa and Cheshire led the League's members against Chase’s men. He just barely caught sight of Sara facing off against Slade, going sword on sword. When Chase went to strike again, Oliver caught his wrist in his free hand, twisting it savagely while aiming a kick to the man’s injured thigh. He would feel the wrist give way, as Chase tried to pull his arm back. So, he released it and watched dispassionately as his foe stumbled back.

“Release them now, Chase, and I will grant you the mercy of a clean death,” Oliver told the man, whose earlier look of anger had been replaced by pain and despair. Then, he saw hope flicker in them, making the hairs on the back of Oliver’s neck stand up before he dropped just as an arrow sailed past his head.

While the battle had been going on, Talia had stuck to the edge of the clearing, watching and waiting for her chance. When it came, she took a breath and then released the arrow. Aiming for his heart, she watched her former student drop with catlike quickness and turn towards her. She muttered a curse before turning into the trees behind her, angry at having missed her opportunity to eliminate Ra’s and by doing so claim the title and the League for herself. The only consolation was that she would survive this and have other chances to remove this outsider and take her rightful place.

As he watched Talia leave, Chase realized that it was over. Looking around, he realized that almost all of the men he’d brought with him were down. He could see Slade Wilson on his back, a slim sword sticking out of this eye and another buried in his groin, a blonde standing over him with a satisfied look on her face. A handful of League members were working to remove the restraints that they could from Laurel, Felicity and the men.

“Release them now, or I promise to spend the next week making you suffer a thousand times what you inflicted upon these men and women. By the end of it, you will kiss my feet and thank me as I go to end your life.”

Chase slid his hand into his pocket and removed a remote. Oliver watched the man closely, searching for any sign of a trick. As he was pressing the buttons on the remote, a smile came to his face that chilled Oliver to the bone. He could hear clicks behind him, but only three clicks.

“In the end, I still win, Oliver,” Chase said with a laugh, as Oliver turned to look. He watched as three people jumped away from the fourth, who’s bomb collar was now ominously beeping. He had only a moment to exchange a look, filled with a hundred regrets and apologies. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, just the two of them.


	29. Revelations and Repercussions

December 30, 2015

Lian Yu

Felicity felt a jolt of shame course through her when she broke that moment. She should have been looking at Ray, the man that she’d fallen in love with. There was no time to say all the words that she needed to say to him, but there would have been time to convey it in a look. She could have let him know that she loved him, that she treasured the moments that they had had together. She could have conveyed her sorrow that he had been dragged into this, simply because he’d made the mistake of meeting Oliver Queen. Yet, because she’d locked eyes with Oliver first, she was robbed of that chance. Ray, unfortunately, was robbed of so much more, as the collar that was still locked around his neck exploded.

“Rrrraaaayyyyy!!!!” Felicity wailed as she fell to her knees.

Dig and Laurel came forward and dropped down beside her, as Felicity was wracked with sobs. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of Ray’s headless body, laying crumpled on the ground. When Dig went to hug her, she pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking back and forth. Dig gently tried again, wanting to provide her some measure of comfort, even though he knew in this moment that it was virtually meaningless.

As Felicity knelt there sobbing, Oliver turned his gaze back to Chase. When he did so, he was greeted by a broad smirk on the man’s face, one that he wanted to knock off. But, he also felt a coldness enter him, one that he’d fought against in the past. Only this time it was more intense, more powerful. And this time, this time he would not fight it, he would use it as he took his vengeance on this piece of excrement that was at his feet.

“Nyssa, Cheshire,” Oliver called out to the two women, waiting until he had their attention. “See to his wounds after you put him in chains. I want him alive when we return to Nanda Parbat.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Cheshire said as she went and collected the bindings that had previously been used on Chase’s captives.

“What do you intend to do, Husband?” Nyssa asked softly.

“I have not fully decided yet, but I have some ideas. We’ll have to see how generous I’m feeling once we have returned home.”

Oliver went to go to Felicity, but Nyssa stopped him. Looking at her hand, then her face, he waited for an explanation.

“You must calm yourself, Husband. If you go to her like this, all you will do is increase her pain.”

Oliver took a moment and breathed deeply, slowly. As he did so, he felt some of his anger settle. Only when he felt that he had that masked did he approach. He knelt down to the side of her, angled so that she could see him. It hurt him more than he thought possible to see her like this. Because despite the last few times he’d seen her, he’d always ever only wanted for her to be happy. When he’d figured out that she was dating Ray, he’d been happy for her because she’d sounded so happy. This, this was something that he never would have wanted for her, this utter misery that he saw in her eyes.

Felicity, I’m...” Oliver started to say before she started shaking her head.

“No, no, no. Whatever you have to fracking say, just don’t. This, all of this, is because of you. Because if I had never met you, if you had never walked into my office what that laptop with bullet holes in it, if you hadn’t chosen my car to hide in after your mother had shot you. If any one of a dozen different things hadn’t happened, then I never would have gotten close enough to you that some psychopath would decide to take me to get revenge on you. And if I hadn’t been taken, then Ray wouldn’t have been taken and maybe, just maybe, the man that I loved would still be fracking alive and not decapitated by a bomb collar. But, what do you care. I mean, you and your band of killers will just move on, find someone else to murder for funsies, because that's what you do. It’s not like your world just ended or that you feel like you can’t breath because of how much it fracking hurts right now,” Felicity said, her tone alternating between her loud voice and a choked suppressed sob.

Dig moved to get Oliver to back away, but Felicity stopped him. She didn’t know if she would ever see him again and right now she prayed that she wouldn’t. And if that was the case, she wanted to finish what she needed to tell him. Even if it resulted in one of his assassin buddies wanting to strike her down.

“Oliver Jonas Queen, I pray that one day you actually fall in love. Because then, if there is a divine plan, some cosmic justice, you’ll have that loved one snatched from you, just like Ray was from me. Then, you’ll finally know the pain that I feel and understand just how much I fracking hate you right now.”

Oliver stood and walked away. There was really nothing he could say to any of that. Right now wasn’t about how right or wrong anything she said was. It was about the crushing loss that she’d just suffered. And he’d made the mistake of trying to apologize to her in a moment where the pain of that loss was still so fresh. This wasn’t the time for it, though when the right time would be was anyone’s guess.

“Do you need me to land,” Bruce said over the communications channel. Oliver had forgotten that he still have the device in his ear, so quiet had they been on the other end once the fight had begun.

“I think that would be a good idea. Also, if you have a body bag aboard, we could use it here.”

“We do. Be there shortly.”

“So, what’s the plan now?” Dig said from behind him.

“We have an ally, one that I hope will fly all of you back to Starling City. How you chose to explain Ray’s death is up to you. I will be returning the League to Nanda Parbat, along with our prisoners,” Oliver told him.

“And what? You’re going to avoid Ray’s funeral? Felicity is going to need….”

“Need what? Certainly not me, not if that was any indication of how she’s feeling. And while I might not have liked the man, I respected him, not to mention Felicity, enough to let him be buried in peace.”

“I think you’re making a big mistake, but, what do I know,” Dig said softly.

Dig turned and went back to Felicity, who was no longer sobbing uncontrollably. Now, she was just crying softly while staring straight ahead. Dig gathered her to him and just held her, neither of them saying anything. Because, really, what was there to say. Felicity knew Dig was sorry and she appreciated the thought, while Dig knew that she knew how he felt and that he understood that she wasn’t ready to hear that. Dig was her big brother, not just her friend, and right now what she needed was to feel like she wasn’t all alone.

A shape came into the clearing, one that resolved into a figure wearing a black costume with a cape and a cowl. Dig guessed that this must be the ally that Oliver had mentioned. Who exactly was under that, he had no idea. The outfit definitely didn’t seem like something a League member would wear and that was good enough for him at the moment. Right now, the most important things were to get them all back home, so that they could begin figuring out how to explain Palmer’s death as well as helping Felicity deal with what had happened.

Making sure that Felicity was okay, Dig got up and helped take care of the body. Once it was in the body bag, he turned to see that Felicity was standing with some assistance from Laurel. He took one end of the bag and the man in black took the other. They led their little procession out of the clearing and on a path. They went slowly, for Felicity and Laurel’s sake. Dig noticed that the League wasn’t following them yet. He figured they might be giving them some time, that Oliver figured the last thing that Felicity would want to see right now, even accidentally, would be him.

Back at the clearing, Oliver was staring down at the body of Slade Wilson. He’d come over because he wanted to be sure. He’d made the mistake of believing the man to be dead once before and wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. So, he checked to see if he was breathing, he checked for a pulse. Then, he removed his sword from its scabbard and proceeded to remove Slade’s head. That way, if he still had any of the Mirakuru’s healing power, he definitely wouldn’t be recovering from that.

“Chase is secure,” Nyssa said.

“Then we can leave,” Oliver said.

“And what will we do about my sister, Husband?”

“For the moment, nothing. I’m almost certain she’s going to head for the ARGUS supply boat and take that to get off the island. We won’t catch her before she reaches it, so it would be a waste of time chasing her. No, we’ll return to Nanda Parbat and train, while we wait for her to return to her monastery. When the time is right, we’ll go there and deal with her and her followers.”

“It pleases me to see that you are exercising patience. A year ago, you would have rushed after her, I’m fairly certain,” Nyssa said with a smirk.

“Being around you has certainly taught me much about patience,” Oliver retorted cryptically, before turning and walking off, motioning for the League to follow behind him.

The walk from the clearing to the air strip is slow and measured. When they are about halfway there, the Batplane flashed overhead as it departed the island. Oliver doesn’t even break stride, doesn’t glance up. He does however key the communications channel one final time.

“Batman, Oracle. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Ra’s. We’ll see them home safely,” Oracle responds.

With that, he removed the earpiece and put it in his pocket. He knew that this wasn’t the last time he’d speak with them, because it was not the last time that the League would likely come into contact with the Batman. If so, he wanted to acknowledge that they had been of assistance, further cementing the agreement between the League and the protector of Gotham. Who knew what the future might hold, after all. There may come a time where even one such as the Batman would need assistance from the League.

December 31, 2015

Nanda Parbat

Oliver led the group down the trail from the airfield to the fortress. He was looking forward to being home, yet he knew that he would not get much rest today. He would need to get caught up with everything else that had been happening while he had been dealing with this. Just another reminder that he needed to start looking for either an heir or possibly an executive assistant. Somebody who could make decisions in his stead for those occasions when he needed to be away.

When the fortress came into view, he was not surprised to find all of the League members standing in ranks awaiting him. Looking them over, he found Roy, Thea and Sin standing next to Artemis. He bit back on the smile that threatened to form, knowing that he needed to maintain the stoic demeanor of Ra’s al Ghul. Later, he would have a family dinner with them and that would be the time he could show his emotions. As he passed through, he could hear the murmur of “Ra’s” rise up.

“Nyssa, Cheshire. Take our prisoner to the dungeon. I will decide his punishment later,” Oliver said, making sure his voice was loud enough to reach those furthest from him.

“As you command, my Lord,” Nyssa and Cheshire responded, before dragging the chained form of Chase away.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer, speak with Artemis. I will expect a report on training this evening.”

“As you command, my Lord,” Sara said before turning and walking over to where Artemis and the others stood.

“Navid, walk with me, that you might inform me about what has occurred in the last few days,” Oliver said, walking into the fortress and down the hall that led towards his office.

“The meeting that the Bratva leaders requested will be on January 5. One of our planes will collect them from Odessa. We have a lead on a new human trafficking ring operating out of Shanghai. I ordered two assassins to proceed there and begin investigating. Oh, and Miss Bertinelli was injured in training,” Navid told him.

“How badly?”

“She had a dislocated shoulder and three cracked ribs. The shoulder has been popped back into place and the ribs taped. She should be able to resume training in the morning.”

“And how did it happen?” Oliver asked.

“I would suggest that Miss Bertinelli learned her lesson and the less said about this the better, my Lord,” Navid said. He really didn’t want to be the one to tell Ra’s that the former mafia princess had made offensive comments about his sister and his sister had responded by laying a beating on the woman. Besides, as he’d said, the woman had learned her lesson and hopefully, that would be the end of things. If not, then would be the time for Ra’s to step in.

Oliver stared at Navid, not happy that the man was not telling him this. He would allow it for the moment, trusting that if it was something serious, he would be told the details. Besides, he had other things that he needed to focus on, the small mountain of paperwork awaiting him being first and foremost. He also needed to decide what form of punishment he would use with Chase. There were several that came to mind, but he had to weigh the severity of his crime to determine which was the proper one to bestow.

As Oliver sat in his office, going over paperwork, Nyssa and Cheshire were finishing up installing Chase in one of the dungeon cells. They didn’t remove the chains binding him, but rather added an extra chain from the floor to the chains holding his legs. Once that was done, they exited the cell and instructed the member responsible for the dungeon that the man was only to be fed rice and water. Nyssa didn’t think it would take too long for her husband to come to a decision and the filth in front of her didn’t deserve anything more than that.

With that taken care of, the two women went in search of Artemis, Sara and the others. Going to the training room that they typically used, they found them sitting on the floor. Sara had just finished telling them about what had happened on Lian Yu.

“Poor Felicity,” was Roy’s response. In spite of everything that had happened, she was still his friend and he felt bad for her and what she was going through.

“I’d say poor Ray,” Thea said. “He was a good guy and he loved Felicity. I mean, I get that Felicity is going to be dealing with this, but at least she’s alive to do so. He got killed and it sounds like he was taken because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Yeah. It’s just, this is Blonde we’re talking about here. If I know anything, I know that she’s not going to cope well with this. I mean, when we thought Oliver was dead, she was the one who handled it the worst. Not to mention, it sounds like those guys were focusing on her more than the others, given the videos they sent.”

“A part of me wonders if we saw all the videos that Slade and Chase made,” Sara said quietly.

“You believe that there are others, Beloved?” Nyssa asked.

“I think it’s possible. I mean, it kinda felt like those videos were building to something more.”

“I hope for not just Miss Smoak’s sake, but your sister’s as well, that you are wrong in your belief.”

Cheshire and Artemis were fairly quick to understand what was being hinted at, while it took the others a few moments to work it out. Sara’s face was a blank mask, but her thoughts were flashing back to the Amazo and those first days after she had been fished out of the water. She’d been a young woman, wearing nothing but her underwear and a silk robe. She’d seen the looks on the men’s faces, the hunger that was there. She couldn’t fight them, not the girl she was then, and she couldn’t flee, not trapped on a ship in the middle of the ocean. So, when Anthony Ivo had appeared, seeming to offer protection, she’d taken it, not knowing that he was the actual danger on that ship.

Artemis was also remembering, back to when she was held by a human trafficking ring. Being sold into sexual slavery had been her biggest fear. She’d heard the men talking about it, yet none had touched her, as they could collect a higher price with her unblemished. That history, that memory, was why when she or her sister went out and found themselves up against traffickers, the sellers of sex or rapists, they were especially harsh. They never wanted another woman to suffer that fate, so to hear that Nyssa and Sara thought their friends might have made her angry and hopeful that Ra’s would inflict a severe enough penalty.

“So, how do we check this?” Sara asked. “I mean, other than asking either Felicity or Laurel, which I think we can all agree is a non-starter.”

“Indeed, Beloved. We have all of the electronic devices that we found on the island. One of those most likely was the one they used to send those videos,” Nyssa said.

“So, if they did film something more, it should be on those,” Thea said. “We should go get them. Because if something like that is on there, then he needs to know.”

Nobody had to ask who the he she was referring to was. Because if something like that was on there, then Ra’s needed to know and sooner rather than later. Turning, Nyssa left the room and headed down to where the League’s technicians worked. All of the electronics that they had recovered had been brought to them. It was all going to be examined and things like the bomb collars would be taken apart, how they worked would be determined and possible countermeasures would be found. For now, Nyssa was only concerned with the few phones and tablets that had been brought in. Collecting those, she went back to the training room.

Sara, Artemis, Cheshire, and Thea each took a device, leaving the last one with Nyssa. She was surprised that there seemed to be no security measures on the phone that she had. It took her a few minutes, but she found where the saved photos were located. Finding nothing in that folder, she checked downloads and then saved files. When she saw that those were empty as well, she concluded that this wasn’t the device used and that it was just a phone.

It was a sob from Thea that got the others attention. She had another of the phones, one that obviously had a lot more on it than Nyssa’s device had. Going over to her, she gently took the phone from the younger woman’s hands and looked at the screen. Her hand tightened on the phone until her knuckles were ivory white, as she felt her anger build. A thought flashed through her mind, of taking a pair of her old, dull knives and going down into the dungeon, pulling that coward from his cell and castrating him. But, she quelled that desire, for that would not be sufficient punishment for what that creature had done.

“I will show my Husband.”

No one else said a word to that, as there really was nothing to be said. Sara did follow Nyssa out of the room, because she wanted in on the decision. She didn’t doubt that Oliver would be enraged when he saw this, she was certain he would be. She was also certain that he would come up with a punishment befitting of the crime. She just wanted to remind him of other options, more extreme options, that he might not consider at first.

Oliver was going over a report from a League member in Colombia. There was a drug cartel that was looking to get into the weapons trade, which is why Oliver had sent the League there. Drugs were worrisome, but not enough to put someone on the League’s radar. Gun running, on the other hand, was, especially when it was by a group with a proven ability to move illegal goods and little regard for innocent lives. After he finished reading, he made the decision to have the head of the cartel killed and see if that got the message across to whoever took over. If not, he would have no problems ordering the assassin to eliminate the entire cartel.

Closing the folder, he placed it on a stack that was for further action, mostly orders that needed to be transmitted to their members around the world. He was reaching for another when Nyssa and Sara came into the office. To anyone else, the women would appear calms and collected. To Oliver, he knew something was wrong, the only question would be what.

“Nyssa, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Oliver said, while motioning for the door to be closed. “What is it?”

“Have you decided on the method of punishment for Chase, Husband?” Nyssa asked.

“Not yet. Why do you ask?”

“Because before you decide, you need to see what we found on that phone,” Sara told him.

Oliver took the phone from Nyssa and started the video file that they had up. Thirty seconds later and he placed the phone face down on the desk. When he looked up again, both Nyssa and Sara took a step back at the magnitude of rage that was on his face. It radiated off of him in waves, like the heat off of a Texas highway in late July.

“Why did neither of them say something?” Oliver asked.

“It is possible that neither of them know. I can not, of course, be certain, but it appears that they were both drugged when the rapes occurred. And given that they were dealing with the pain of having been flogged, their minds may not have been able to separate the pain caused by the rape from the pain caused by the flogging.”

Oliver closed his eyes for a moment, hoping that Nyssa was right and that neither of the women remembered this. Then he wondered if having such a thought was wrong. Because where in the world was it right to feel that the best outcome of a rape was that the victim didn’t remember it? As if that made everything better, only to realize that there was no making this better. There was only punishing the crime and finding a way to help Felicity and Laurel if needed.

“I can’t think of a punishment severe enough at the moment to adequately provide justice for what this, this creature has done. Because everything I can think of would be too quick. I want to make his suffering last. And while I know that Felicity and Laurel would likely be repulsed by what I want to do, that will not stop me for doing what I must. So, I think we should all meditate and think about what would be just.”

December 31, 2015

Starling City

The flight back from Lian Yu had passed in a fog for Felicity. She couldn’t shake the images for those last few seconds, the bomb collar exploding and Ray being killed. They just kept replaying over and over again. She wondered if this was normal or not. She didn’t know, because the closest she’d come to death had been when Cooper died in prison and that wasn’t something she’d witnessed. If Oliver was here, she could have tried to ask him if he’d experienced something similar when the Gambit went down and Sara had seemed to be sucked under. But then she remembered that Oliver wasn’t here, would never be here again and worst of all, that he was the reason that Ray was dead in the first place, so he would be the last person on Earth she wanted to talk to right now.

She was thankful though, because when they’d landed, there had been someone there to take care of Ray’s body. She didn’t know if the Batman and his colleague had handled that or if it was Dig and Lyla that were responsible. She did know that the cover story was that Ray and she had been in a bad car wreck, that a tractor trailer had hit Ray’s side of the car and he’d been killed instantly, while she had been incredibly lucky to escape with only some minor injuries. The plan was to say that his injuries had been so severe that there would be a closed casket for the funeral, meaning that they wouldn’t have to figure out a way to make him presentable for viewing.

Lyla and Dig had given her a ride home. She hadn’t really wanted to be alone, but she couldn’t ask Dig to stay with her. Lyla and little Sara needed him as well and they had priority over her. So it was that she walked into her house all alone, closed and locked the door before walking over to the couch. She looked at it for a minute before continuing on to the kitchen. She found a large glass, a bottle of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1982, a gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream and a spoon. She uncorked the wine and then carried everything into the living room, placing it on the coffee table.

Pouring a glass, she took a sip, then another. Picking up the remote for her television, she turned it on and then went to Netflix. Doubting that she would actually watch whatever was on, she decided on Doctor Who and pressed play. By the time the second episode was finishing, she’d gone through the bottle of wine and a good amount of the ice cream. So, she got up and got another bottle of wine, something that was a little less expensive.

Felicity had just sat back down when she heard a loud explosion. She almost knocked over the wine in her haste to drop to the floor, where she lay trembling, hands pressed to her ears and eyes closed. She couldn’t look, wouldn’t look. Maybe if she didn’t look, then everything would be alright. Maybe everything would be just a bad dream and when it was all over, Ray would still be alive. Another explosion of noise, this one less intense than the first, was followed by others. Why did it sound like the entire world was blowing up, she wondered.

Felicity started having flashbacks, not just to what had happened with Ray, but other times as well. To the foundry basement the night of the Undertaking, to the landmine on Lian Yu and Oliver swinging in to rescue her from it, and the Siege as well. Just a cascade of images as the sounds of explosions and gunfire echoed in her mind, matching the sounds of the fireworks that the people down the street were setting off to celebrate the new year.

Even when the noise stopped, Felicity still remained huddled on the floor. Doctor Who was still playing in the background unnoticed, which was likely a first for her. But right now, she was trapped in her own mind, watching as memories came at her one after another. It was only when exhaustion overtook her that the memories finally stopped, while she lay passed out on the floor, next to the couch with an open bottle of wine and a melted container of ice cream left on the coffee table.


	30. Reckonings

January 2, 2016

Starling City

Felicity stood in front of the mirror doing her makeup, not surprised to see the dark bags under her eyes. Her sleep hadn’t been all that restful last night, or the night before, or really the whole last week. Things like getting kidnapped by a deranged psychopath and watching the man you love have his head blown off tended to do that to you. So, today was definitely going to be a fake it until you make it kind of day, both in terms of attitude and energy.

Once she had everything covered as best as she could, Felicity went to her closet and looked. Nothing really called to her, most of the colors feeling too bright, too cheerful for her today. Finally, she picked a blue blouse, black skirt and pair of black Jimmy Choo heels. She was just about ready when she heard a knock at the door, drawing a frown from her face. She wasn’t expecting anyone and really didn’t want to deal with anyone at the moment. Opening the door, she found Dig standing on the other side of it, a large coffee in his hand and a paper bag in the other that likely contain a breakfast sandwich of some kind.

“Hi, Dig,” Felicity said, a weak smile on her face.

“Morning, Felicity,” was all Dig said as he handed the items over, while also taking in the living room. Four empty bottles of wine and the remnants of Chinese takeout littered the coffee table. Looking at the couch, he suspected that Felicity had slept there. A part of him wanted to say something, but he held back. He needed to give her a little time, a chance to find her own balance before he interjected himself into the mix. What had happened on Lian Yu was hard enough for him to deal with, especially the feeling that it could have been him. Felicity was dealing with all of that, plus the fact that it was Ray who had been the unfortunate one.

“Not to sound mean, but what are you doing here? You should be home with Lyla and little Sara.”

“Lyla’s the one who told me to come. The news about Ray hit the news today and there’s likely a crowd of reporters outside of Palmer Technologies. We figured you might want your bodyguard with you.”

Felicity sighed at that, because the last thing she wanted to face today was reporters. Reporters meant speculation and rumors, most of which would center on what had been her relationship with Ray. They had never gone public, each preferring their privacy and being more interested in intellectual pursuits. Date nights usually revolved around dinner and babbling about what they’d read in Wired, followed by making love and ending with Ray sneaking into his personal workshop to tinker on something while she slept. Where he’d gotten the energy from, she’d never figured out. Perhaps something instinctual had unconsciously told him that his life would be short and that he needed to make the most of the time he had.

“Felicity?” Dig asked softly, not wanting to startle her.

“I’m sorry, Dig. I just got thinking about the reporters and the questions they’re likely to ask. Questions about me and Ray and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Like seriously, can’t I just get a day or two to process this before they start shoving microphones in my face demanding to know how I feel and was I in love with him? Is that too much to ask? Just some basic human dignity,” Felicity said, fighting back the tears that threatened, not wanting to ruin her makeup and have to redo it.

“Well, I’m going to drive you right past those reporters, so you won’t have to deal with them first thing. And I’m confident that the PR department at Palmer Technologies can handle them for today. Eventually, you’ll have to make a statement of your own, but for now, we just take it one day at a time.”

With that said, Dig led Felicity from her home and on out to the car. On the drive in, she was silent, not even working on her tablet. Instead, she just looked out the windows and thought that the gloomy sky perfectly matched her mood. Her mood dampened further when the car went past the main entrance of Palmer Technologies and she saw the throng of media out front, practically blocking the way to the building. Seeing it, she was glad that Dig had come to get her, that she would have her friend and bodyguard with her today.

Dig drove the car into the parking garage and quickly found the reserved space for her. Getting out, he opened her door and then quickly followed her to the executive elevator. The ride up to her floor was quick and quiet. It was when she reached the top floor that the chaos descended upon her. There was a row of people waiting for her impatiently in front of Gerry’s desk. Looking at them, she figured that only the heads of PR, Legal and HR likely had actual business to conduct with her, while the rest of her to pass on proforma expressions of sympathy as they got a read on the lay of the land.

Taking a deep breath, she motioned Gerry to follow her into her office. Sitting behind the desk, she quickly drained the last of the coffee Dig had brought with him that morning. She then focused on her assistant, ready to hear what she would need to know for the day.

“PR, Legal and HR all need five to ten minutes with you. PR wants to go over the release, HR said that they needed approval to get started on a search for the new CEO and Legal has some documents that Doctor Palmer had left in their safekeeping that are to be opened in the event of his passing,” Gerry told her. “Also, there’s an emergency board meeting scheduled for ten and Bruce Wayne asks that you call him as soon as you can.”

“OK. I’ll see PR first. HR and Legal should both attend the board meeting, as the board will need to approve the search for a new CEO and the contents of those documents need to be known by the entire board, so they should not be opened until then. Once I’m done with PR, place the call to Mister Wayne, please,” Felicity told him.

“And the others that are out there?”

“Find out what they need and get it to me. But, unless the building is burning down, they have the cure of cancer or something equally as important, I’ll have to get back to them.”

With that, Gerry left the office and showed the head of PR in. They went over the press release, as well as what to expect in the week to come. As nothing had been fleshed out regarding a funeral for Ray, they couldn’t include that in the statement. Nor could they yet say what the fate of Palmer Technologies would be, not until the estate would be settled. Felicity made a note that she would have to talk to Ray’s lawyers about his will. When they were done, Felicity escorted the man from her office and nodded at Gerry. She had just gotten back to her desk when the phone rang.

“Miss Smoak, Bruce Wayne,” came a pleasant masculine voice over the phone. “Thank you for taking the time to call. I know today must not be the best time, all things considered.”

“That’s quite alright, Mister Wayne. Business has to get done,” Felicity told him. “How can I help you.”

“I had stopped in to let you and Doctor Palmer know that Wayne Enterprises had purchased fifty-five percent of the outstanding shares of Palmer Technologies.”

Felicity’s head swam at the announcement. That was the last thing that she had been expecting to hear. Did this mean that she was out of a job? That the people who worked here would soon be out of work as well? Just when they had the company growing, when the research department was come up with innovative technologies, was all of that going to stop?

“Miss Smoak, are you still there?” Bruce asked.

“Yes. Just trying to process what this means.”

“Nothing too bad, I assure you. There will certainly be a degree of restructuring when we incorporate Palmer Technologies into Wayne Tech, but the employees will all still have their jobs.”

“And how soon do you see this happening?” Felicity asked.

“I can’t say, because of Doctor Palmer’s passing. According to my sources, he owned the remaining forty-five percent. So, until his estate is settled, his shares can’t be sold or converted,” Bruce said.

“I’ll have to let the board know. I’m certain there will be questions.”

“And I’m certain that you can handle anything they throw at you, Miss Smoak.”

Seeing Gerry gesture, Felicity knew it was time for that board meeting. Once she ended the call with Mister Wayne, she stood and squared her shoulders. She could do this, Bruce Fracking Wayne believed she could do this, Ray had believed she could handle this. So, as she walked to the conference room, she took a few calming breaths and walked inside.

January 2, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Adrian Chase lay in his cell, still in the same uncomfortable position he’d been placed in two days ago. He remembered something Talia had once told him about the League, that they didn’t take prisoners. He wondered what she’d think of the obvious weakling who now held the position she coveted. He also wished Oliver or one of the bitches that had chained him here would come back, just so he could taunt them about how weak the League had become. Or better yet, taunt Oliver about what he and Slade had done to his precious Felicity. A part of him almost wished she hadn’t been drugged, just so they could have gotten her screams and tears on camera too.

Chase was so into his fantasies that it took the sound of the cell door unlocking to get his attention. Looking over to the door, he smirked when he saw that it was Nyssa and Sara. He opened his mouth only to be met with a boot to the ribs.

“Prisoners do not speak,” Sara said calmly as she walked behind him and unlocked the chain from the floor. She then grabbed his head and yanked backwards, forcing his mouth to open further. Once it was, she forced the gag that Diggle had been wearing on Lian Yu into the man’s mouth. She buckled it tightly.

With that done, Sara and Nyssa forced the man to his feet and marched him out of the dungeons. Once into the main part of the fortress, the path was lined with members of the League. Yet, they were not there out of some fear that Chase would escape or some desire to exact a level of personal retribution. No, they were there to bear a silent witness to the proceedings, as they fell into line behind them once Chase had passed.

When they reached the largest training room in the fortress, Chase could see a frame had been set up in the middle of the room. The walls were lined with members of the League, while to the sides of the frame stood Artemis, Cheshire, Sin, Thea, al-Qarasina and An-Nur with another half dozen female members of the League. Oliver stood behind the frame, his face a blank mask as he contemplated the man being led in. There was no emotions there, no satisfaction, no anger, nothing showed but calm. He watched as Sara and Nyssa undid the chains binding Chase, then bound him to the frame spread eagle. After he was secure, Oliver walked around in front of him and looked him in the eye, searching for some remorse or contrition. Instead, he only saw anger and hatred. That would make what was to come that much easier, he thought with a hidden smile.

“We exist to rid the world of evil, replacing it with death,” Oliver began, looking at the host of League members in attendance. “This is an honorable vocation, saving humanity for its baser instincts. And it is honorable not because of what we here and our brothers and sisters across the world are willing to sacrifice, but because of what we are not willing to. We do not harm the innocent, we do not drug and rape women while recording this despicable act. Those that do these things do not deserve the mercy of a quick or clean death, they do not deserve the prayers of forgiveness that we say over the dead. They deserve to face the full wrath of their victims, to know even a small measure of what they made others suffer.”

While Oliver was speaking, Nyssa and Sara walked along the line of woman. Each was handed a wooden baseball bat and given whispered instructions. Once that was done, Nyssa took a familiar collar and prepared it. Catching Oliver’s eye, she waited for him to nod before taking the collar and locking it around Chase’s neck. The man bucked and tried to avoid it, but was too tightly secured to do so for but a moment.

“I see you remember that collar, Mister Chase. My husband and I look forward to seeing how well you can endure it,” Nyssa said. “From the videos, the shocks seemed quite painful.”

With that said, Nyssa stepped aside and joined Sara and Oliver in front of the frame. Chase was so focused on them that he didn’t notice the women to the sides of the frame step back. He’s also failed to pay any attention to the frame itself, especially the width of the device. This was pointed out to him when the first of the women swung the bat she’d been given, the swing that of a slugger trying to hit a home run. She’d aimed exactly where she’d been instructed, for the small of Chase’s back. Since he hadn’t seen the blow coming, he’d had no time to prepare, to try to focus his mind against the pain. So, he felt the bat connect first, then a moment behind that came the agony, like thunder after lightning. And because he wasn’t prepared, he wasn’t able to stop the cry of pain which sparked the shock collar to life, giving fresh waves of suffering to deal with.

Cold and calculatingly, Oliver watched as Chase danced against the chains. His demeanor was reflected in the members looking on as well. Judgment had been passed, this was the will of Ra’s al Ghul and they understood the message that was being sent, not to them but to the world at large, people like Talia, the Triad, Yakuza and others. The message was simple and direct, that crossing the line meant no mercy. So, he watched and when Chase had sufficiently calmed himself, the next woman stepped up. Her blow was a little higher, but no less harsh judging by the reaction it got. Four more women followed, each striking a similar blow across his back, so that by the time they were done, there was a mass of welts that reached to his shoulders.

With his back done, the rest of the women took their turns on his chest and stomach. Cheshire and Artemis angled their strikes, so that instead of being flush with his stomach, they caught Chase at the kidneys. This provoked a more intense reaction, resulting in a more prolonged period of the collar shocking the man. None of the League’s members believed for a minute that this was some kind of mistake. They took a few minutes after that, just to make sure that he was conscious. Then, Sara stepped up, a truly wicked grin on her face. She watched him, just watched him and waited. Waited until his attention was on her. A part of her wanted to tell him so many things, such as how the two women he’d raped were sisters to her, one by blood and one by choice, or that the pain he was about to feel was nothing compared to what either of those women had experienced. Yet, in this moment, she wasn’t Sara Lance, she was Ta-er al-Sahfer and she needed to keep her emotions in check. So, she said nothing, revealed nothing as she drew the bat back. Her swing wasn’t that of a baseball player, but rather one of a golfer taking a big cut with their driver. Her target was straight between Chase’s legs and everyone could see when she hit dead center. His eyes almost popped out of his head and the gag barely contained the scream, as powerful as it was. The pain multiplied as the collar began to shock him as well, forcing more screams out of him.

Nyssa gave Chase a sardonic smile as she took Sara’s place in front of the man. She too waited, waited until the pain had dimmed and the screams had stopped, waited until he was aware. And then she saw it and her smile widened, because now there was true fear in the man’s eyes. Fear not just for what she was going to do, but also for whatever else was in store for him. Up until that last hit, he’d tried to show his defiance with the only weapons that had remained to him, the look in his eyes. Talia had taught him about pain and he’d thought he could handle anything that Oliver Queen and his whores could dish out. He’d expected to be able to taunt the man, push his buttons and wait for him to make a mistake. Instead, it was he who was being taunted, mocked by the silence as blow after blow came without a word.

When Nyssa knew she had his full attention, she drew back her bat and swung much like Sara had. But at the last second, she held back. She didn’t actually hit him, just smiled as he screamed and was shocked. Watching him, she couldn’t help the broad mirthful smile that came. She turned to see Oliver and Sara both fighting to contain their laughter. She could definitely see some amusement in the eyes of the assassins closest to her. But, as she turned back to Chase and saw that the shocks were subsiding, she drew back once more and this time actually landed the blow, striking hard enough to actually lift him a little, more than hard enough to trigger a fresh round of screams and shocks.

“The first half of your punishment is completed,” Oliver said, his voice colder than ice, once Chase had stopped screaming and was able to pay attention. “Al-Jizar shall be in charge of the second half of your punishment.”

The man who stepped forward was big and burly, his very presence a form of intimidation. Behind him came two slightly smaller men pushing a wheeled table. The entire surface was covered by a once white cloth that was now more reddish than white. When they were in position, the two assistants went to the frame and tightened the chains further, taking away what little movement there had been before. They also removed the shock collar, which certainly got Chase’s attention due to curiosity if nothing else. But that was only momentary, as his attention was soon fixed on the table when al-Jizar removed the cloth and revealed a wide assortment of knives, ranging from small scalpels to large hunting knives.

“Ah, I see you’ve noticed my knives. Yes, they are quite beautiful, I agree,” al-Jizar said with a smile. “See, what I’m going to do it quite simple, really. Also, quite painful, so painful in fact that you will be begging for me to return you to the tender mercies of Nyssa, Ta-er al-Sahfer and the others. My duty, my calling is that of the League butcher. Very rarely am I requested to use my talent for skinning on a human, but I’m sure it will be fine.”

With that, al-Jizar stepped back from Chase and picked up the first blade. He slowly walked around the man, looking him over, assessing where to make the initial cut. He was less concerned about the pain he would cause the man and more focused on what he would need to do in order to remove as much of Chase’s skin in one large piece, which is what Ra’s had requested. Finally, he found the place he would begin. Taking the knife, he set to work cutting the man’s clothes off. Once he was naked, the first precision cut was made accompanied by a muffled scream.

Oliver kept his face impassive as he watched. He didn’t react at all to the screams and cries that were coming from Chase. He simply hardened his heart and watched as al-Jizar slowly, painstakingly removed the skin from Chase’s body. A part of him wished that Thea, Sin and Roy weren’t in here, that they didn’t have to see this being done. Yet he told himself that it was necessary, that they needed to understand. But he also knew that there could be members who would question why those closest to him were excused from bearing witness to the League’s justice. So, here they were and here they would remain until this was done.

Several hours later, al-Jizar had finally completed his work. It was beautifully done, a true work of art. He had managed to get it all in one piece, from head to knees. The only things missing were the feet and the hands, because they weren’t going to unchain Chase for even a moment. As for Chase himself, he was still alive, barely. He was in shock, both from the extreme pain as well as from the blood loss. Oliver had contemplated throwing the man into the Lazarus Pit to heal him, so that they might punish the man further, but in the end decided against it. Not because he didn’t want to further punish the man, but because he didn’t want to take a chance of the man getting loose and causing further harm to people he cared about.

“The punishment is over,” Oliver said, looking out at those members gather.

“Ra’s,” came the murmur from the host, as they all knelt, even Nyssa.

“Leave him there until he expires. Then, I want his body destroyed, his ashes scattered to the four winds. The skin is to be taken to Talia al Ghul.”

“As you command, my Lord,” Navid said.

With that, Oliver walked out of the chamber, Nyssa and the others following him back to the room that he and Nyssa shared. Once the door was closed, he looked at them, specifically Thea, Roy and Sin. The others were not his concern at the moment, because they knew the League and understood that what he’d done, as brutal as it was, was absolutely necessary. Roy and Sin seemed to be handling it alright, but he would make sure that Sara kept an eye on them just to be sure. Thea, on the other hand, looked shocked at what he’d done.

“If you have anything to say, now would be the time,” Oliver said gently.

“I was expecting you to kill him, Ollie. I get that, just like I got hurting him for what he did to Laurel and Felicity. I wasn’t expecting you to turn him into that and make a human-version of the bear rug out of his skin,” Thea said, her eyes still a little wide.

“Simply killing him would have been too merciful, Speedy. He needed to experience a portion of the pain that Laurel and Felicity have and will continue to, especially Felicity. Because he took her future away from her.”

“My idea, for what it’s worth, Thea,” Sara said, “was to take Chase to the top of Nanda Parbat and toss him off, then drag him to the Lazarus Pit and revive him so that we could do it all over again. Figured we could keep that up for a year or two, unless we found something more interesting to do with him. Your brother said no to that.”

Thea looked at Sara and saw that she was telling the truth. She wondered if that would have driven the man insane if they had done that, to remember getting thrown off the building and knowing he had to have died only to find himself back at the top of the building about to be thrown off again. Surprisingly, she found herself wishing that they had done that, just so she could have seen his expression as he was thrown off.

“Fine,” Thea said. “I just hope that we won’t have to see that again anytime soon.”

“Well, that was the point of this,” Oliver told her. “Word will get out about what was done and what the punishment was. People are going to be afraid of crossing the League because of this, which makes it extremely unlikely that I will have to do something like this again.”

The others nodded, seeing the rational behind that statement and knowing it was true. Nobody would want to chance being the next to anger Ra’s al Ghul, not wanting to be on the receiving end of that kind of punishment.

January 5, 2016

Starling City

The last few days had been hell on Felicity. The board of Palmer Technologies had very reluctantly made her the acting CEO. They were well aware that Wayne Enterprises had bought the majority stake in the company, so they knew that this wouldn’t last long. Eventually the company would be made a part of Wayne Enterprises, possible merged with Wayne Tech. Still, they didn’t feel that Felicity was the right person to be leading them until then. However, she was the Vice President and Ray had apparently left a letter instructing that she take charge of the company in the event something happened to him.

That had meant that she’d had to spend most of her time dealing with the company, rather than dealing with her loss and grief. She’d also had to work with Ray’s personal attorney to go over the arrangements for the funeral. She wasn’t exactly surprised that he had had it all planned out, nor that he wasn’t religious. So, there had been two days of visitation at the funeral home and today they were burying him. As she sat there, looking at the grave site, a flash of anger hit her. The grave next to his belonged to his former fiancee, Anna Loring. Felicity knew, rationally, that Ray had most likely made these arrangements shortly after she had been killed in Slade’s Siege. She didn’t begrudge the woman, she was just angry that there wouldn’t be a place next to him for her as well.

Felicity moved her gaze from the grave to the casket still sitting above it. Her anger grew as she looked at it. They hadn’t been able to have an open casket at the visitation. Instead, there had been a framed portrait of Ray sitting in front of the casket. She’d tried to find a good picture, but it didn’t make up for the fact that she hadn’t been able to give him a last kiss goodbye. She had been thankful for the first time in a long time that her mother had been there. She and her father had been Felicity’s rocks, giving her something to cling to, keeping her from drowning in the waves of sadness, anger and hopelessness that were threatening to overtake her.

All too soon, the service was over. Felicity was numb to the people coming up and offering their sympathies. She’d heard most of them before, from the very same people in fact. Laurel and Dig were the last two to approach her, yet she could see a pair still standing at the far side of the grave. She stood and hugged Dig first, then Laurel.

“Thank you for being here,” Felicity said.

“You’re welcome,” Laurel told her.

“Lyla would have been here too, but she figured you’d understand why she didn’t come,” Dig told her and Felicity knew, giving him a nod of acceptance. “Can’t believe they showed, though.”

Felicity knew who he was talking about, Sara and Thea. She was surprised as well, but then she remembered that they were her friends, or at least had been. Besides, she didn’t blame them for what had happened. But, that didn’t mean she wanted to see them either, because they were with the one who was ultimately to blame for Ray’s death, for her being left all alone. So, she was thankful that they hadn’t approached her, that they were keeping their distance and seemed to be allowing her to decide. She looked at them, letting them see the pain in her eyes. Then, she turned and walked away, her parents by her side while Dig and Laurel walked ahead of her.

Sara and Thea watched them go. They weren’t surprised that none of their former friends had approached them. Things were still too fresh for that. Neither of them had approached Felicity because they didn’t want to risk upsetting her. So, they chose to stand a silent vigil, trusting that their presence would convey a silent message of sympathy and understanding. Thea hadn’t known Ray all that well and Sara hadn’t known him at all, but they both knew that Felicity had loved him and that was enough. Watching her get into the black car with her parents as well as Laurel and Dig, they took one last look at the grave and casket before making their way to the car that Thea had rented. They’d agreed to spend the night at Sara’s apartment before going back to Nanda Parbat.

“When do you leave for Central City, Laurel?” Felicity asked.

“I’m on the eleven o’clock train tonight. I’ve got an interview with a law firm on the seventh, which gives me a day to get rested and start looking for my own place. Although, my mom says I can stay with her as long as I want,” Laurel said with a sigh.

“I’ll bet she’s happy you’re moving there.”

“Ecstatic. Dad on the other hand is not. He doesn’t understand why I need to do this or realize that he’s one of the reasons I’m leaving. Still, I worry about him being on his own.”

“I’ll try to check in on him for you, Laurel,” Felicity said.

“Thanks, Felicity. Don’t forget, though. You guys can always come visit me in Central City, too,” Laurel told her, as Dig pulled up outside of her hotel. The lease on her apartment had ended the last day of December and the movers had her things waiting for her in Central City. If it hadn’t been for everything that had happened, especially Ray’s death and knowing that the funeral would be happening, Laurel would have already been gone. So, she’d taken a hotel for the last five days. Now, she turned to Felicity and pulled her into a hug before getting out of the car and sharing one with Dig as well. As she walked into the hotel, she realized that a chapter of her life had ended and a new one awaited in her new home town.


	31. Declarations and Discoveries

January 5, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Oliver stood and watched as the heads of the major Bratva organizations walked into main hall of the fortress. Several of them he had met before in his former life and he could see their reaction to seeing them. He had to fight to keep from smiling at their shock, as well as the whispered “Kapushion” that passed between them. Instead, he chose to remain silent and wait, watching them.

“So, you are now Ra’s al Ghul, Kapushion?” a man said.

“I am,” Oliver told him.

“And now you will use that position to dictate to us?”

“No, not dictate. Merely remind you that Bratva has limits and when those limits are passed, then your organizations' agreements with the League are violated. Anatoly refused to listen to reason, refused to retreat when required to do so. An example had to be made, so that you and your brothers do not get the idea that such things will be allowed.”

“Then this is not because of what city he was operating in?” the man asked, pushing. “We know that Starling City is your home. We find the coincidence to be less than coincidental.”

“My home is Nanda Parbat. Starling City, Oliver Queen are all in the past,” Oliver told him. “I would have ordered the League to act similarly if it had been National City, Gotham or London. Because what Anatoly was planning was contrary to the mission of the League, which is to replace evil with death.”

Looking at the other men gathered in the meeting, Oliver felt that his message, while not what they wanted to hear, was at least being given consideration. In fact, it seemed that only two of the men were actively antagonistic to what he was saying. He made a mental note of who they were and decided that his Shadows would need to keep a closer watch on both of them.

“Our problem is that you seek to limit our growth, when it is in the nature of all successful businesses to seek growth. If we do not grow, then how can we continue to survive?” another man asked.

“I do not ask that you do not grow. I simply ask that you do not grow in certain directions. Anatoly wanted to take over Starling City and then expand along the West Coast. He wanted to do that be eliminating all competition, increasing the level of crime and corruption. I told him I could not permit that and as he was not willing to listen to reason, I was left with no choice but to eliminate the problem.”

“Well, I don’t think there is anything more to say,” the first man said. “Good day, Ra’s al Ghul.”

The others followed his lead and filed out of the room. The assassins that had accompanied them followed along behind them, escorting them from Nanda Parbat and on to the airfield. Oliver sat there for a few more moments, organizing his thoughts. He had hoped that the meeting would have gone better, but he also wasn’t exactly surprised either. Anatoly and his organization were only a symptom of a much larger problem and Oliver now had to worry that another group would try to move in on Starling, since there was virtually no competition there.

Getting up, Oliver walked out of the room. He was too restless to go to the office, even though there was plenty of paperwork that he should be doing. Instead, he headed for the training rooms, looking to find someone to spar against. He found Sara working with Sin in one of the rooms, both of them with bo in hand and engaged in a rather spirited round of attack and defend. He spent a few moments watching the pair of women, a smile coming to his face as he did so. Sin was showing marked improvement from the last time he’d watched her and he felt certain that she’d soon be ready for her first tests. It was as he watched that he felt a presence behind him, yet he stayed still and let his other senses reach out.

“Hello, Husband,” Nyssa said, her breath ghosting along the back of his neck.

“Nyssa,” Oliver replied, still watching as she stepped up next to him. “How goes your training with Helena?”

“Slowly. She is stubborn and has more faith in her perceived abilities than she should.”

“I have faith in you, Nyssa. If anyone can train her, it will be you. Where is she now?”

“I asked Artemis to work with her in archery, so that we could talk,” Nyssa told him.

“Talk about what?” Oliver asked.

“That kiss. I need to know why you kissed me.”

“And the most obvious answer didn’t come to you.”

Nyssa turned to look at Oliver. As she did so, she saw the little smile on his face, a smile that reached the eyes. She’d seen that smile on her husband before, when he’d looked at his sister as well as with Sara. She’d seem one similar on Sara’s face when her Beloved looked at her and she knew that smile was a smile of love. So, now she had to wonder what seeing that type of smile on Oliver’s face really meant. She did know that she didn’t want to find out in the middle of a hallway where anyone could witness what they said. That was why Nyssa turned and walked quickly away, knowing that Oliver would follow her as she headed back to their room.

“I’ll ask you again, Husband,” Nyssa said once he’d closed the door. “What did that kiss mean?”

“It meant that I have come to love you, Nyssa al Ghul,” Oliver told her. “It started as admiration, how you handled the situation that we were thrust into by your father. It grew the more we spent time together, as I came to know the private you rather than the public persona. I don’t know if I ever truly thanked you for being my rock during the first weeks I was Ra’s, or that I know things would have been much worse without you there by my side. But, I think I first recognized it as love when I saw how you were with my sister.”

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

“I don’t expect you to say anything, Nyssa. Certainly not today. I know it is likely that you do not have similar feelings about me, but I wanted you to know that I do love you.”

With that, Oliver leaned into her and gave her a kiss, much like the one that he had previously given her, before turning and walking out the door. Nyssa stood there, in stunned silence, watching as the door closed behind him. She had certainly meant what she’d said, that she didn’t know what to say. But that didn’t mean she didn’t know what to think once she’d gotten over her shock at his confession. Because, just as he had come to admire her, so had she him. It hadn’t been overnight, but rather over the months that he had been Ra’s. She’d found him to be stubborn, but never irrationally so. She’d also discovered that he was more intelligent than she’d initially believed, given what Sara had said about his academic history. But, it was more the way that he treated her and how different it was from the way she’d been treated most of her life. He treated her not just with respect, but more than that, as if she had value as a person rather than merely as an assassin.

As Nyssa stood there thinking, the door opened behind her. Doubting it was Oliver coming back, she turned around. She found Sara there, a curious look on her face as she regarded the brunette.

“I thought you were training Ta-er Aswad,” Nyssa said softly.

“Ra’s stepped in and said you needed to see me,” Sara told her as she stepped up to her Beloved. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know, to be honest. He told me he loves me and I couldn’t say it back, because I don’t know if….”

“If what? If you love him back? Or if its a ploy to try and get you into bed? Or something else?”

“Any or perhaps even all,” Nyssa said, not able to keep the confusion out of her voice.

“OK, let’s deal with the biggest one. I’ve known Oliver for a long time and the one thing he’s never been is someone who would force a woman into his bed. He’s had a number of partners and we’ve all been willing, even more than willing. And as far as I know, he’s never gotten any complaints in that department, if you know what I mean,” Sara said with a shit-eating grin, one that only got bigger as she took in the look on Nyssa’s face.

“Sara!”

“What? I’m just saying, if you did, perhaps, decide to make an exception to the whole ‘I am a Lesbian’ thing, he’d definitely make sure you didn’t regret it. In more ways than one. But, let’s get back to your concerns. Do you love him? Having watched you two together, I’d say if you don’t love him, you definitely feel some affection towards him. Is it romantic in nature? That’s something you have to decide. Just know that if you’re not there yet and tell him you need more time, I know Oliver would wait for you. And not because you’re Bride of the Demon and he’s Ra’s al Ghul, but because he knows you’d be worth it.”

“And if that was to happen, it wouldn’t be a betrayal of you, Beloved?” Nyssa asked.

“Not in my opinion. I love you and I love Oliver, perhaps not equally, but still. So, if you were to admit that you’re in love with him, I would be happy simply because I want you to be happy. Besides, I doubt he would object to me joining the two of you,” Sara said, laughing at the look on Nyssa’s face at that. She kept laughing as she walked out the door, leaving her Beloved to arrive at her own decisions.

January 6, 2016

Central City

Laurel smiled to herself as she stepped off of the train and looked around the platform. She knew her mother wasn’t going to be there, as she had classes starting. Laurel was fine with that. She had a few things that she could take care of today, starting with looking for her own place to live. She appreciated her mother agreeing to let her stay at her house, but she wanted her independence and she didn’t want to spend too much time with her mother. It still hurt that her mother had betrayed her, had known that Sara was sneaking off with Oliver and didn’t say anything.

Taking the medium sized suitcase she’d brought with her on the train, Laurel made her way down the platform towards the exits. As she walked, she kept looking around, forming some first impressions of the city. This train station, for example, looked nothing like the one in Starling City. There, it was trying too hard to present a cheery image, one that was almost instantly destroyed when you walked outside and saw how bad the city had become. Here, it was an understated cheer, a natural feeling of brightness. That was only echoed when she stepped outside into Central City, so much so that Laurel almost thought that she wasn’t just in a different city, but a whole different world.

Then, she heard them, the sounds that she was used to in Starling City. The sound of a bank alarm going off, accompanied by the sound of police sirens signaling that units were coming and close by at that. For a brief second, Laurel wished that she had her suit and weapons with her before thinking better of it. She doesn’t know the city well enough to even think about being some kind of vigilante here. Not to mention, not having any kind of backup, something that she was used to on her old team. So, no, all she could do right now was stand there and watch, or get into a cab and be on her way to her mother’s.

Getting into a cab, Laurel gives the driver her mother’s address. But, before the driver can pull away from the curb, a blur of some kind rushed past them. The cab rocked a little as it passed and she can only gape at what she’d maybe seen. The cab driver, who’s experienced this before just gave her a knowing smile.

“What was that?” Laurel asked.

“That? That was the Flash,” the driver said with a laugh.

“The Flash?”

“Yeah, he’s some kind of superhero. He’s probably going to help the police out with whatever that alarm is all about.”

Seeing the way was clear now, the driver pulled away and turned away from where the alarm was. Laurel fought back a sigh, wishing a little that she could have gotten a better look at whoever, whatever that had been. The rest of the drive to her mother’s house was peaceful and she smiled as she got out of the cab and looked up at the two story house sitting on a little rise above the street. Paying the driver, she walked up to the door and used the key her mother had sent her to let herself in. When she did so, a feeling of nostalgia struck her, because the house was so much like her parents home when she and Sara were kids. Seeing this, she realized that in some way her mother had never really left, never moved on from that time. The house looked like it was expecting her and Sara to come charging through the door arguing about something trivial, her father in the kitchen cooking and her mother at the table grading papers. And a part of Laurel wished that she could go back to that time, somehow stop Sara from getting on that boat and starting the chain of dominoes that lead to where they were today.

Going upstairs, she found the room that was going to be hers for now. Her mother had already hung up the clothes that she’d shipped ahead. Plenty of outfits for interviews and work, along with a few more causal ones. Undressing, she went and took a shower, wanting to clean up after spending the night on the train from Starling City. Once she was done with the shower, she dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and burgundy top before putting away the rest of the clothes in her suitcase. On top of the dresser were the spare set of keys for her car, the ones that she’d given to the moving company so that they could take the car with them and then put it in her mother’s garage when they arrived.

Seeing them, she realized what she would do for the rest of her day. Leaving those there, she grabbed her own set of keys and her purse before walking through the house and out the back door. There was a gate in the fence that led to the driveway. Entering a code in the garage door opener, she waited for the door to open and reveal her car sitting there. The blue 2008 Honda Civic had been her graduation present to herself and it had been the perfect car when she’d been working at CNRI. Besides, she wasn’t making a ton of money and she didn’t want a big car payment on top of her student loan payments.

Getting behind the wheel, she pulled out of the garage and stopped. She didn’t have a remote for the garage door and she didn’t want to just leave it open, so she had to get out and use the key pad to close the door. Pulling away from the house, she decided her first order of business would be coffee and something to eat. She stopped at a light and set up her phone to act as a navigator, directing it to find the nearest coffee shop. Five minutes later, Laurel was pulling into a lot near a Jitters and thanking the heavens that it wasn’t a Starbucks.

Laurel was just reaching the door of the coffee shop when it opened from within. A brunette woman and a young boy came out, the woman holding the door for her. Laurel almost walked past when the face registered. As her head turned, she saw the other woman looking back at her.

“Samantha?” Laurel asked.

“Laurel,” Samantha said with a small smile. “I thought you were in Starling City?”

“I just moved here. I needed a change. “

“Mom,” the young boy said. “We need to go, so I can get back to school.”

“Your son?” Laurel asked.

“William,” Samantha said, a tone of pride in her voice. “It was good seeing you again, Laurel.”

“You too, Samantha.”

Watching the pair walk away, she couldn’t help smiling. She and Samantha had been classmates and friends before the other woman had left school and moved back home. The boy looked to be about seven or eight, which would coincide with when she’d left school. As she went inside, her mind continued to think about all that she’d seen. Laurel realized that Samantha had gotten pregnant while in college, that she’d left school to likely return home and have the baby. The only question in her mind was, who was the father? Because Laurel couldn’t remember her dating anyone in particular, while she and Oliver had been going through their on and off relationship at the time.

After placing her order and getting served, Laurel sat at one of the tables by the window. She watched as people walked by, but her mind kept going back to Samantha and her son. She couldn’t put a finger on what had her so intrigued by them. Maybe it was just seeing her out of the blue like that, the surprise factor and all. Deciding that she needed to stop thinking about that and focus on more important matters, Laurel took out her phone and started searching for jobs. She had some interviews lined up over the next few days, but she believed in having backup plans. Finding a job came first, then she would make a decision on where she would like. Whether she would stay at her mother’s indefinitely or if she would find her own place.

Finishing her food, Laurel put her phone away and cleared the trash from the table. She knew that she would be returning here, as she’d loved the coffee. But for now, she decided to head back and rest before her mother got home. She guessed that they would end up having dinner together, either something delivered or going out to eat. As she drove, she found herself taking in as much as she could of her new hometown, feeling happy with her decision to move here.

January 6, 2016

Starling City

Felicity walked down the hallway, her high heels clicking on the title floor. She’d been surprised to get a call last night from Ray’s personal attorney, if only because of how soon it was after everything. She knew that she wasn’t ready to deal with this, yet here she was anyhow walking down the hall to the man’s office. She’d heard that these things, settling an estate or whatever the official term for it was, that they took forever. She’d been expecting time, time in which she could simply grieve her loss and reach a level of acceptance, if such a thing was even possible.

Reaching the door, she paused and took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She didn’t know what lay behind that door, if Ray’s family had been invited as well. She knew that Ray was estranged from them. She’d found that out when they had first started dating and talking about their childhoods and families. But, still they were family and at the end of everything, that was what mattered. If they were here, she told herself that she would deal with it and not make any comments or do anything else that might reflect poorly on Ray.

Going inside, she found a large reception area, a middle aged woman sitting behind the large desk in the center. Several people were walking the path behind her desk, going who knew where. The whole image spoke of a large, prosperous law firm, Felicity thought as she approached the receptionist’s desk. Just as she got there, an older gentleman came out of one of the halls and spotted her.

“Miss Smoak?” he asked, even though it sounded more like a statement in her mind.

“Yes,” Felicity replied.

“I’m Mister Solomons, Doctor Palmer’s personal attorney. Please come with me.”

Felicity followed him back into the labyrinth of halls that branched off behind the reception area. The office that they finally came to was large and well appointed. There were two distinct areas in the office, one formed around his desk and the other around a small conference table. It was to the latter that he directed her, holding out her chair for her before taking the seat directly across from her. Between them on the very end of the table was a small television.

“Miss Smoak, Doctor Palmer came in about six months ago and made changes to his will. This was not unusual, as he had done this in the past whenever there was a significant life change. After Miss Loring’s death, he did something similar. Mostly, it was to change the beneficiary of the estate or to direct where certain items would go. The change he made six months ago is the reason you are here today. At that time, he directed that the bulk of his estate, minus certain bequests, was to be left to you. He also had us record a video addendum to his will that we were to give to you,” Mister Solomons told her, watching her expression.

Felicity just stared at him, shocked down to her core. She’d guessed that something was going to be left to her, one of his paintings perhaps or some money. She certainly hadn’t been expecting this. She also didn’t know if she could handle it. She was who she was, the daughter of a cocktail waitress from Las Vegas who’d only been able to go to MIT because of scholarships and financial assistance. The woman she’d grown into knew the importance of every dollar she earned, because of all the times she’d had to do without as a kid, times her mother had taken extra shifts or second and third jobs so that Felicity could have something. To go from that to this, whatever this turned out to be, was too much for her to really take in right now. And that was on top of the guilt that she felt because this was only happening because Ray was dead.

“Can I see the video, please?” Felicity asked, her voice tight as she tried to hold herself together. A moment later, the TV screen lit up and Ray was sitting there.

“Hi, Felicity,” Ray said, a soft smile on his face. “If you’re seeing this, it means that something happened and I’m gone. I’m sorry, sorry that I’m not there for you, sorry that we didn’t have more time. Meeting you, loving you was the best thing in my life. Now, I know that you probably are silently cursing about the money, worried that the press will call you a gold digger and that you never wanted it in the first place. But, I want you to have it. You are an amazing woman, Felicity Megan Smoak. You are kind, compassionate, loving and a genius. I know that you have hopes and dreams and I’m trusting you to take this money and use it to chase those dreams, to use your love of technology to make the world a better place. I also hope that one day, you’ll find love again. And I know right now it feels impossible, but the day will come if you let it. I know, because it did for me and I have you to thank for that. Just know that when it does, I’ll be smiling down on you because all I could possibly want is your happiness. I love you, Felicity.”

Felicity had tears streaming down her cheeks by the time the video ended. Mister Solomons slid a box of tissues across to her, a kind smile on his face and a few tears in his eyes as well. She took a few of the tissues and dried her eyes as best as she could, certain that her makeup was a fright now. She also took a moment to try and collect herself.

“What do I have to do now?”

“Nothing at the moment. A copy of the will and the video have been filed with the court and the estate will need to go through probate. We will try to expedite that as much as possible. As the executor of the estate, I will be handling certain transactions, such as making a decision about Doctor Palmer’s holdings in Palmer Technologies. I was advised that there is a takeover bid being launched by Wayne Enterprises?”

“Yes, Bruce Wayne called to inform me that he now has a majority of the stock in the company. So, for all intents and purposes, the company is his,” Felicity told him.

“I see. Well, I shall contact him or someone at Wayne Enterprises and discuss their purchase of the remaining shares. If it comes up, would you prefer cash or a stake in Wayne Enterprises?” Mister Solomons asked her.

Felicity thought about that. Cash was cash, she could do whatever she wanted with it. She could invest it in some tax-free municipal bonds and live off the interest. She could use it to start her own company, which seemed to be what Ray was hinting at in the video. There were literally hundreds of options she could choose from. Taking the stock in Wayne Enterprises, on the other hand, limited her path in a number of ways. She wouldn’t have the money to start her own company and people would be expecting, possibly demanding that she take a job at Wayne Enterprises. They would see anything else, like her working a LexCorp or Kord Industries, as some form of betrayal or an attempt at corporate espionage. She also knew that her head wasn’t really in the game at the moment and she didn’t trust any decision she made now to be the right one.

“Use your best judgment, Mister Solomons. I’m certain that you have financial advisors on staff who can tell you if whatever is offered is a good deal or not.”

“Indeed, Miss Smoak. Once there are more definitive numbers, we will need to have another meeting so that we can go over them. I would also recommend that we hire or rather you hire a financial planner to help you understand all of this.”

“Thank you, Mister Solomons,” Felicity said as she stood, recognizing that the meeting was over.

Mister Solomons gave her a copy of the video before he walked her back out to the reception area and bid her farewell. Felicity didn’t really remember leaving the office, or even the drive home. She did, just barely, remember what had been discussed. The video and Ray’s word kept pushing to the forefront of her mind, shoving everything else aside. As it replayed again in her mind, she got a gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream out and a bottle of red wine. She also rooted around in the refrigerator and found a couple of packages of apple sauce that were still there from the last time she babysat little Sara, so she added them to her haul. Placing everything on the coffee table in front of the couch, she went into her bedroom and changed into a pair of pajama pants and an over-sized t-shirt, getting comfortable for the night.

It was hours and numerous episodes of Doctor Who later that Felicity finally stumbled off to bed. Setting her alarm, she settled under the covers and hoped that if she couldn’t have pleasant dreams, that the bottle of wine might gift her with a dreamless sleep. Either of those would be better than the nightmares that had been haunting her. With that thought, she closed her eyes and gave herself over to sleep.


	32. Examinations and Introductions

January 7, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Nyssa got out of bed and looked towards the bed that Oliver used. She frowned when she saw no signs that it had been slept in. Going into the bathroom, she took a quick shower before coming back out to get ready for the day. Knowing that she was going to be training Helena after breakfast, she elected to put on a sports bra and a pair of panties covered by a pair of black yoga pants and a maroon top, then her League uniform.

Once she was dressed, she left the room and went to Sara’s room. Knocking once, she then opened the door and bit back a laugh at the sight before her. Sara was in bed, face down and sound asleep. With her were Sin and Thea, the pair of younger women on either side of the blonde. The knock seemed to have awakened Thea, at least, as she was looking over towards the door and Nyssa, a sleepy expression on her face.

“Good morning, Nyssa,” Thea said.

“Good morning, sister-in-law,” Nyssa replied with a smile. “How did you end up in here last night?”

“Sara was working with Sin and I on our meditation, but then we started talking and by the time we were sorta done, we were just too tired to go back to our rooms.”

“And do I wish to know what the three of you were talking about?”

“Probably not,” Thea said with a grin. “Although, I would bet that you already know.”

“Can’t you be a little quieter,” Sara said as she woke up and tried to turn over without either disturbing Sin or knocking Thea off the bed. “Morning, Nyssa.”

“Good morning, Beloved,” Nyssa said, giving Sara a smile. “Do you know where Oliver might be?”

“Not a clue. I haven’t seen him since breakfast yesterday. Now, whether that is because he’s been incredibly busy or just that he is avoiding me right now, I don’t know?”

“And what exactly did you say to him that would make you think he’s avoiding you, Beloved?”

“Your girlfriend was offering your husband some tips on the best ways to please you and was being rather graphic about it,” Sin said with a groan, one that was echoed by Thea as well. The former heiress was coming to love Nyssa like a sister, but the last thing she had wanted to hear was Sara giving Ollie tips on how to please his bride in bed, especially not in the level of detail that Sara was giving. Although, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t filing some of those details away to see if she couldn’t find a way to teach them to Roy.

“Hey, I just want him ready for when Nyssa finally admits that she loves him,” Sara said defensively. “Because I know you will, Nyssa, once you work your way through all the emotional trauma that your father heaped on you.”

Nyssa looked at Sara and knew exactly where she was going with this, because they had had this conversation before. Not relating to this specific subject, but rather about Nyssa’s difficulty in admitting that she had feelings for anyone, much less that she loved someone. Sara also knew that the way she’d left the League previously had been taken by Nyssa as Sara leaving her personally, more than just Sara leaving the League as an organization. They both had spent time trying to rebuild that bridge before Sara had been killed and while things between would never be the same, they had been good and were now even better.

Her father’s reaction to Sara’s death had been even worse than she’d expected. He’d both trivialized Sara as a person, but also their relationship. She’d known that he had never approved, but for him to be that dismissive had hurt Nyssa. But then, her father had spent a lifetime hurting his daughter, beginning with the day he took her from her mother. A small part of her wondered once if that was the moment she actually became a Lesbian or if it was more an accumulation of events that lead to that. She’d never really looked into it, because to have done so would have taken time away from her training and that would have led to more punishment from her father. Regardless of the moment, she did know that all of her life she’d associated pain and betrayal with men, while the few moments of joy and happiness came from women. Her father, she thought, had seen this and tried to ruthlessly stamp it out, which only furthered the cycle by adding more pain delivered at the hands of someone who should have loved her.

Love was something that her father had been singularly incapable of, Nyssa knew. He could feel pride, perhaps even affection, at his children’s accomplishments as warriors. But love, freely given, was not an emotion that he could summons from within. And because he couldn’t summons it himself, he couldn’t bring it out of his children either. Nyssa knew that he had not loved her mother, rather he had desired her, wanted to possess her, to have her. So, when her father had started hinting about possible husbands for her, Nyssa knew that was the fate he intended for her as well. To make her a woman that would be possessed and fulfill the one true role her father saw for her, being a mother and carrying on his bloodline. Not once did he speak of love, or even affection or respect. No, when he’d spoken about it, it was about her duty.

Now, here was Oliver, a man that she had been forcibly married to. And she had certainly been prepared to hate him, in fact she had in those first hours after the ceremony. A small part of her had expected him to carry out the instructions she knew he’d gotten from her father, to consummate their marriage on their wedding night. Indeed, the room they had been shown to for the night had only a singular bed whose purpose could not have been more blatantly obvious. Yet, when she’d turned from facing the bed, ready in some way to defend herself if need be, she’d found a scene she’d not been prepared for. Oliver had taken one of the armchairs, turned it to face the door to the room and was taking off the outer layer of his League garb, divesting himself of his weapons.

Nyssa had watched him warily, wondering if this was some manner of trick. Instead, she watched as he settled into the chair, the high back blocking his view behind him. If she had wished, she could have taken the poker for the fire and driven it through the back of the chair and him without him being able to see her.

“You should get ready for bed, Nyssa,” Oliver said, not moving.

Nyssa went to try to remove her gown, but found that she couldn’t quite reach the buttons holding it together near her neck.

“Could you help with the buttons?” Nyssa was forced to ask.

“I could. Or you could just rip it open. Given its meaning, I doubt you’ll ever want to see it again, much less actually wear it. And if your father somehow thinks that I ripped it in order to get to you quicker, who would we be to disabuse him of such a notion.”

Nyssa couldn’t help the laugh that came at that, nor the one that followed when Oliver laughed with her. No, she certainly never intended to wear that again. In fact, she’d burn the damned thing if she could. So, she did what he suggested and tore the buttons loose, feeling a freedom that was more than just being out of that gown, more than defying her father. And as she looked again at the back of that chair, all she could see of Oliver Queen was a single hand just to the outside of the armrest.

A knock at the door brought Nyssa out of her thoughts. A moment later, the door opened and admitted Cheshire. She bowed slightly to Nyssa, then smiled as she took in the scene on the bed.

“Ta-er Aswad,” Cheshire said. “Ra’s al Ghul has instructed me to bring you to him. Only her,” she added when she saw Sara begin to get out of bed as well.

“Do you know why?” Nyssa asked.

“No, I do not. Nor did I ask.”

With that, Sin followed Cheshire from Sara’s room. The others decided to go to the dining hall and find breakfast, knowing that there was little point in following Sin. If Oliver had wanted them there, he would have said so and all showing up was likely to do was anger him. Sin, for her part, tried to tamp down her worry. She knew that she had done nothing wrong, nothing that might have upset Ra’s. She was working hard on her training and there had been little criticism from her teachers recently. Yet, this was still Ra’s, not Oliver, and if what she’d been taught about the League was any indication, it was that he could make any decision and there was no fighting it. So, she would have been lying if she’d didn't admitted to feeling uncertain when Cheshire led her into the training room.

Oliver was exercising on a Salmon ladder in the corner, facing the room as a whole. He watched as Sin took in the room, paying attention to the way she moved. He smiled as he watched her take in the whole room, even the corners. He kept his face neutral, but still was impressed and knew he’d made the right decision. He also noticed her eyes widen slightly when she saw him, as he dropped from the ladder and stepped forward.

“Arm yourself, Ta-er Aswad,” Oliver said, motioning to the rack of training weapons.

Sin walked over to the rack and took a moment to just look. Then, she selected a pair of Sai, a katana and a wakizashi. She also took a pair of knives, placing one in her boot and the other in the small of her back. Once she was ready, she turned to face Oliver once again. As she did so, he struck out at her with a side kick. Sin dodged the strike, rolling to the side and coming up with her Sai at the ready. Oliver struck again, this time a knife edge strike to her right arm. Sin turned, while also aiming a Sai for what she took as his unprotected side.

The next hour was more of this, Oliver pushing Sin to her limits. Yet, he was also very impressed with the young woman. Not just with her fighting technique, but also with her poise and attitude. She didn’t complain or comment about how unfair things were, how much bigger and stronger he was then her. Instead, she looked for ways to use those things against him and she didn’t back down. And when he disarmed her of her Sai, she instantly pulled the katana and proved herself to be almost as skilled with it as with her Sai. She even managed to surprise him when she pulled her knife and threw it at him. Caught off-guard, he wasn’t able to fully block the slash she made with the katana and he knew if this had been a real fight, he would be bleeding a good deal from the cut to his thigh.

“Stop,” Oliver said after he blocked another blow.

When she heard that, Sin sagged in relief. Her arms were starting to ache a little and she was breathing heavier than normal. Sara had been teaching her, as had Cheshire and Nyssa, but none of them had given her the workout that Ra’s had just put her through. So, she put her hands on her knees and focused on her breathing. She didn’t hear him approach, then suddenly there was a towel and sports bottle of water in front of her. She accepted them both gratefully, looking up at him as she mopped her face and took a drink of the cool liquid.

“Well done, Ta-er Aswad. You’ve passed your first test. Now, you’ll continue your training with Ta-er al-Sahfer, but also you will start going out on missions with her. They’ll be simple ones, intelligence gathering for the most part so that you can work on your others skills. You have much still to learn, but know that I am proud of the progress you have made.”

“Thank you, Ra’s,” Sin said, bowing her head not just in respect but also to hide her tears. Having someone tell her that they were proud of her was not something she was used to. Sure, Sara had done it before, but this was more important because this would define her future.

“Come, let’s go find Ta-er al-Sahfer and the others, so that you can share the good news,” Oliver said, putting a brotherly hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze before leading the way out of the room and down the hall. They found the others in another one of the training rooms. Nyssa and Helena were on the far side of the room, sparring hand-to-hand, while Sara and Cheshire were working on weapons training with Thea and Roy, while Artemis offered the trainees some instructions and advice. Both pairs were working with boes. Oliver and Sin stood there for a few moments, just watching. He could see that Helena was doing better, but he knew that Nyssa was holding back quite a bit. He will have to tell her to make sure she pushed the former Mafia princess, because he wanted his wife to either make or break the other woman.

As for Roy and Thea, they were both coming along as he’d expected. Roy had a year’s worth of training with him and Dig, while Thea had the benefit of Malcolm’s training. He planned on giving them another week or so, then he would have Nyssa test them. This was so that nobody could say that the test hadn’t been fair or that he had gone easy on them because Thea was his sister and Roy her beloved. And while he knew that the members respected him, it was only human nature that they would look for a bias due to family ties, even though all members had renounced their former lives. Almost everyone in the League had either trained with Nyssa or fought alone side her, so they knew that she was be fair while also giving no breaks or merely allowing them to slip through.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Oliver called out after seeing a natural break in the training.

Sara nodded in acknowledgment, then handed her bo off to Artemis and walked over to where he and Sin were standing. She could see the excitement in her student’s eyes, yet looked to Ra’s for confirmation. Seeing his brief smile, she gave Sin a hug.

“She passed?” Sara asked, just to hear him say it.

“Indeed. In fact, you will be taking her with you on missions as well as giving her more advanced training here. Focus on her stealth and awareness, Ta-er al-Sahfer.”

“Awareness?” Sin asked.

“You failed to notice the pair of assassins in the corners during your test, Ta-er Aswad. If they had been the enemy, you would have been dead.”

Hearing that, Sin hung her head. That was a mistake that she could not afford to make. Yet, she told herself that they hadn’t trained her on things like that. Her training so far had been learning to fight, first without weapons and now with weapons. So, she looked up and squared her shoulders. She would learn awareness, in fact she would learn everything that they had to teach her because she would not allow herself to fail. She owed her best effort, to prove she was worthy of the chance Ra’s and Nyssa were taking on her, to honor her friend Sara and the time she was putting in to train her, but most of all, to build the best future for herself.

“I did not bring that up to make you feel like you failed in some aspect. Rather, it was to serve as a reminder that you still have much more to learn, Ta-er Aswad. Even when you’ve earned the title of Assassin or Shadow, there will always be something more to learn, to improve upon. Even as Ra’s, there is always something I need to work on. Only when we stop learning do we truly fail,” Oliver told her. “Now, join your teacher and your friends. Once training is over, you are excused to celebrate this.”

Oliver stood there and watched as Sin joined the others. Sara selected a pair of bo and they joined in with the others to continue their practice. As much as he would have liked to stay, he knew that he needed to get into his office and focus on the small mountain of paperwork that was awaiting him. So, after taking one last look, he turned from the room and walked out.

January 8, 2016

Central City

Laurel walked out of the building, a smile on her face. She’d just finished her interview with one of the more prestigious law firms in the city and it had gone very well. She’d still have to pass the state bar here and there had been a few rough questions about her problems with the bar in Washington state. She’d managed to cover those well, she believed, and given the reactions from the partners who’d interviewed her, they felt so as well. Still, she knew that if she was offered the job and accepted it, she would have to work extra hard to prove herself with that shadow hanging over her.

She felt she was ready, though. She’d found herself an AA meeting here in Central City and would be going to one tonight. Her sponsor in Starling had connected her to someone here and they would be meeting for coffee before the meeting. When they’d talked on the phone last night, Laurel had been pleasantly surprised by the warm voice and motherly tone. She knew that she didn’t need a sponsor as badly as she had when she’d first started AA, but she also knew that even as more time passed where she was sober, any day might be the day that she’d stumble. Having that person, that safety net, was crucial to her continuing recovery. Because, as she’d come to accept, she would always be an addict and while there was no cure for it, she could live with the disease.

For now, however, her next stop was the bank. Her bank in Starling didn’t have a branch here, so she’d had to close that account. Today, she needed to open her new account and deposit the cashiers check into it. Once that was done, she’d be able to set up her automatic payments for her credit cards and student loans. Yesterday, she’d looked at several of the banks in Central City and then picked one. Fortunately, the one she’d selected happened to have a branch a block away from where her interview was, so she'd decided to walk there afterwards. Once she had her new account open, she’d stop and get something for lunch.

Walking inside, she noticed two men standing there. Something didn’t feel right to her and she went to step back outside when everything started. Both men pulled shotguns out from under their long coats. The security guard saw them, but before he could get to his gun one of the men shot him. Laurel went to take a step towards them when the other man turned and aimed at her. A rush of adrenaline shot through her and something happened. The man motioned with the shotgun as Laurel opened her mouth and screamed. What happened next was something that nobody was prepared for, least of all Laurel. The man was knocked backwards by the scream, as if he’d been slapped by the hand of an invisible giant. He tumbled backwards and slammed into a kiosk, knocking it over on top of him. The other robber saw this and turned, aiming his shotgun at Laurel now as well.

Before he could do anything, a blast of air went past Laurel and a blur knocked the man off his feet. A split second later, both shotguns were disassembled and laying on the floor in pieces. Then, both Laurel and the blur were gone, leaving the intended victims staring in shock as the police came rushing into the branch. Laurel could only watch as the man carried her through the city, everything passing by way too fast for her. She tried to close her eyes, but that only made the sensations even worse. She couldn’t help being extremely thankful when they finally stopped, even if she didn’t know where they were. She stumbled a little when the man placed her on her feet, then she took a good look at him and remembered where she’d seen him before.

“Barry?” Laurel asked, even as she heard footsteps behind her.

“Who is the hottie?” Cisco asked as he and Caitlin entered the control room. “And how does she know your secret identity, dude?”

“A better question would be, why did you bring her here?” Caitlin asked.

“So, the bank on Fifth was about to be robbed. When I got there, she had taken out one of the robbers and the other was about to shoot her with a shotgun. I knocked him out, disabled their weapons just in case and then brought her here,” Barry told them.

“OK, but that still doesn’t explain why you brought her here?”

“The guy she took out, she did it with a scream. And I sorta met her last year, when I helped out Oliver’s team.”

“And you trust her?” Caitlin asked. There was no judgment in her voice, but after everything that had happened with Doctor Wells, she was going to be cautious.

“I trust Oliver and he trusted her,” Barry said. “So, yes, I trust her.”

“Then, I guess we should introduce ourselves. I’m Doctor Caitlin Snow, he’s Barry Allen and the fellow who’s trying to discreetly check you out is Francisco Ramon.”

“Laurel Lance.”

“Nice to meet you, Laurel,” Caitlin said, offering her hand. “And you have abilities, according to Barry?”

“I don’t know. I just know that one moment, there’s a guy standing in front of me with a shotgun, and the next, I screamed and he’s a good five feet away looking like a crash test dummy,” Laurel said, her expression showing how clearly confused she was by what had happened.

“And something like this has never happened before?”

“Which part? Walking into the start of a bank robbery and having someone wave a shotgun in my face? Or the part where I Mariah Carey-ed the guy across the room?”

Barry, Caitlin and Cisco had a good laugh at that. Laurel smiled as well, as she started to relax a little from the earlier stress. She also realized that if these people knew Oliver well enough to know about the team, then she could trust them as well. Because clearly Oliver had.

“When was the last time you talked to Oliver, Barry?” Laurel asked.

“Christmas, briefly. Roy had been shot with an arrow after some group attacked the loft. I took Caitlin there to help patch him up. Before that, it would have been August, I think. He was here for some League business,” Barry said, watching her expression.

Laurel couldn’t deny feeling a little hurt to hear that Oliver had trusted Barry with the secret that he was Ra’s al Ghul while he was also distancing himself from his former team. Still, she recognized that they had deserved it, for not trusting him, not believing in him. Oliver had more than earned their trust, yet they had all turned their backs on him. And while some of what he’d had to do in order to gain Ra’s trust had meant breaking faith with the team, they should have trusted that he had a greater plan. Taking a breath, she pushed those feelings down, as here and now wasn’t the time or place to focus on them.

“Then, he didn’t tell you about Felicity?”

“What about Felicity?”

Laurel told them about about her and the others being taken, about Oliver finding them and coming to their rescue. She then had to tell them about the bomb collars and how one of them had been rigged to explode instead of release when the disable command was sent. She could see that the others thought that it had been Felicity’s collar that had exploded and she had to quickly explain that Felicity was alive, that the collar that had exploded was Ray Palmer’s, Felicity’s boyfriend and boss. She also had to tell them that Felicity had been right there when it happened, they all had been and that it was an image that she knew she’d never get out of her mind, not would their friend.

“And you left her like that?” Barry asked. “Left the team while they were going through all of this?”

“Yes, I left Starling afterwards, but that move was in the works before we were all taken. And the team died the night we found out Oliver was now Ra’s,” Laurel said. “Dig and Felicity were upset at the news, then they found out that Thea had known. Dig threw her off the team because of it and as he and Oliver were arguing, I realized that I didn’t want to be in the middle of that fight. Not to mention that after the last two years, Starling City wasn’t really my home any more. As for Felicity, she’d got Dig, her mother and her father, plus she can call me anytime.”

Barry nodded at that. He knew how close Felicity and Diggle were and that the older man would look after the IT genius. He did wish he’d known, he’d have gone to the funeral, been there to support her. Now that he did know, he planned to make a visit to Starling City in the near future and check in on his friend.

“Getting back to the previous question, something like that scream. Has it ever happened before?” Caitlin asked.

“No,” Laurel told her. “Nothing even close to it.”

“Were you in Central City the night of the particle accelerator explosion?”

“No, I was in Starling City.”

“I’ll still want to get some blood and tissue samples, to see if we can determine what caused this,” Caitlin told her. “We’ll also help you learn to control your abilities.”

“Definitely,” Laurel said with a grin. “I’d probably be in trouble if every time I yell at somebody, I end up knocking them around.”

With that, the two women walked out of the control room and into the medical bay. Laurel took a seat on the bed, while Caitlin collected several syringes, vials and a punch biopsy tool. She gave Laurel a local anesthetic, then collected the biopsy from her arm. After that, she filled the vials with blood. She likely collected more than she would need, but figured it was better to do that then have to treat the other woman as her personal pincushion by requesting to take more later. Once she was done, she had Laurel give her her phone number, telling her that she would call as soon as she knew anything.

“Thanks, Caitlin,” Laurel told her. “Now, I just need to get back to my car and go find another bank.”

“Well, I’d say you have your choice. Barry could run you back, no problem. Or Cisco, I’m sure, would love to take you anywhere you want to go,” Caitlin told her, an evil grin on her face.

The two women shared a look before laughing. Even now, they both could see Cisco at his console, supposedly working on something. Yet, every few moments, he’d look over to where Laurel was sitting, a puppy dog look in his eyes. Laurel felt that he seemed like a nice guy and since she was going to be living in Central City, she may as well start to make friends. Caitlin, she believed, would be one and maybe Cisco could be another.

“Cisco, would you mind driving me back to where my car is, please? I’ll even buy lunch, if you’d like.”

“Sure, Laurel,” Cisco said, shooting up from his chair and walking over to where she and Caitlin were standing. “There’s a couple of great delis here that I’d be happy to show you.”

Laurel and Cisco started talking about food choices as they walked away. Caitlin had a satisfied smile on her face when Barry came back into the room. When he caught sight of it, he couldn’t help feeling happy as well. He liked to see Caitlin smile, something she hadn’t done much of since Ronnie died. When he’d first found out about Ronnie, he’d been disappointed because it felt like every woman he had feelings for either didn’t return them or had feelings for someone else. There was Iris, who to this day Barry believed was clueless to the fact that he was in love with her. Then there was Felicity, who he’d felt a connection to, only to find out that she had feelings for Oliver Queen, then after Barry came out of his coma, he discovered that she and Oliver had tried and failed only for her to have moved on to Ray Palmer before he could work up the courage to ask her out again. Caitlin, he’d felt something for her from the start, only to find out that she was dealing with the believed loss of Ronnie, only to then find out he was still alive before losing him all over again. For someone as fast as he is, all Barry can think is that his timing is terrible.


	33. On The Road To Experience

January 8, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Sara smiled at Sin as she collected the younger woman for breakfast. They had all enjoyed last night, celebrating the passing of her first test. Today would be spent on training, lots of training. She had recruited a pair of her fellow assassins to assist her today and they were waiting in the small training room that they would be using today. Next to her, Sin was practically vibrating with excitement. Sara knew that she’d have to help her student get that under control before they started.

“Sin, you need to breath and relax,” Sara whispered softly.

“Yes, Sara,” Sin replied, before taking a deep breath, like she’d been shown. Long and slow, in and out, just breath.

“Good. Now, today is about teaching you awareness. You need to be able to focus not just on what is obvious, but also on what isn’t. See the fight that is in front of you, but also be aware of the threat on your flanks or behind you.”

“That sounds difficult.”

“It’s probably one of the hardest things to do, yet also the easiest. You only need to learn to use your other senses as well as you use your eyes,” Sara told her as she walked into the training room, pausing just inside the doorway of the pitch black room and waited for Sin to join her. “Now, there are two opponents inside this room. Tell me where they are.”

Sara stood and watched as Sin tried to see into the darkness, yet nothing was revealed. Moving further into the room, she soon lost sight of Sara. The darkness too easily blended with the black colors of the League’s uniforms, making it all but impossible to see them. Then, she thought about what she’d been told and tried to use her other senses. She went as still as she knew how, trying to focus on what she could hear, what she could smell.

“Have you found them?”

Sin almost jumped at the sound. She hadn’t noticed Sara coming up behind her. She also hadn’t found the pair of assassins that we in the room.

“No, I haven’t,” Sin said, her tone carrying not just her frustration, but also her sense of failure. The feeling that she had disappointed her teacher and friend.

Sara took a moment, placing where the pair were. She smiled to herself as she caught the faint wood scent, sandalwood if she wasn’t mistaken, coming from her left. Then she heard the faint shifting of a foot ahead of her and slightly to the right.

“Al-Jabal is on our left, about six paces away. Talibah is ahead of us, roughly the same distance,” Sara told her. “Show yourselves, please.”

A moment passed, then there was the sound of matches striking and torches coming to light. As the light began to fill the room, Sin got her first look at the pair of assassins assisting Sara. The woman was fairly ordinary, especially compared to the man. He stole Sin’s attention, due to his sheer presence, the unmistakable air of somebody who was used to command. His skin was tanned from exposure to the sun, which made his gray eyes stand out even more, as did the salt and pepper beard.

“It is good to see you again, little bird,” al-Jabal said to Sara as he gave her a hug.

“I didn’t know you were back, my favorite teacher,” Sara told him with a smile.

“And we all thought Nyssa was your favorite teacher,” Talibah said with a smirk.

“It depends on the subject.”

The flirty tone in Sara’s voice, combined with the knowing smirk served to reduce the others to helpless laughter.

“Aren’t you going to introduce your student, little bird?”

“This is Ta-er Aswad,” Sara said. “This is al-Jabal, one of my teachers. If you are lucky, he may be one of yours as well. And this is Talibah, she is one of Nyssa’s lieutenants.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Sin told them.

“And you as well, little black bird,” al-Jabal replied. “I see a fire in you, one that will serve you well as long as you tend it carefully. As for teaching you, if it is the will of Ra’s al Ghul, it would be my honor.”

“Has he given you another assignment already?”

“No. Navid told me to rest now and that Ra’s would speak to me in a few days.”

“Well, while I have you, would the Mountain be willing to further assist in training my student?” Sara asked.

“It would be my pleasure,” al-Jabal said as he moved to the center of the room and sat down.

“He’s called the Mountain?” Sin asked. “I don’t get it.”

“Watch him and you will.”

With that Sara, Sin and Talibah stood and watched. The man’s back was to them as he took out a piece of silk and blindfolded himself. Then, he settled, his breathing even and barely a muscle moving. Sin could see the others silently counting and was about to ask why when Talibah removed a plum from her robes and threw it. With a quick move, al-Jabal snatched the fruit out of the air before ducking the knife that Sara had thrown. An instant later, it was as if the man had never moved, except for the hand holding the plum he was now eating.

After watching for a while longer, Sara nodded her head at Talibah. She figured that this would be the perfect time for part two, given that Sin was fidgeting and having trouble staying still. So, Sara slowly stepped forward and then moved to the right, while Talibah took a step backwards and then went left. Al-Jabal appeared not to have noticed, given that he made no move at all. Once she reached her new position, Sara raised her hand and signaled a stop. She then took a coin and tossed it back towards the doorway.

“You’ll have to do better than that, little bird,” al-Jabal said with a smile. “Throwing something like that dime as a distraction was one of the first tricks I taught you.”

“How do you know it was a dime?” Sin asked.

“From the sound it made when it struck the stones.”

“Right. Now, how did you actually know?”

“I have already told you, Ta-er Aswad. By the sound it made. Just as I know that you have been getting impatient for a while now, just from the sound of your feet moving. I know that Sara has moved, as has Talibah. They are now there and there,” al-Jabal said as he pointed to where the two women now stood. “All because I have learned to use all of my senses to see, rather than rely solely on my eyes.”

“How does one learn to do that?” Sin asked.

“Come, sit and I will teach you, little black bird.”

As Sin went and sat across from al-Jabal, Talibah excused herself. Her work here was done and she had her own training to get to. Sara took a place near the doorway and watched the training. She was glad that al-Jabal was here and willing to assist, not just because he was a Master on the subject, but also because of her memories of the man. He had been one of the few in the League to truly befriend her, though the way he treated her was less as a friend and more as a daughter or niece. Now, watching him with Sin, she could see the beginnings of something similar there as well. A smile formed on Sara’s lips at the thought of that, one tinged with a shade of regret. She’d never told her friend the true reason she’d taken her under her wing, that she was honoring the last request of a dying man. She’d never have guessed that she’d find another sister in doing so.

In another part of the fortress, Cheshire was walking down the hall towards Ra’s office. She’d been surprised that morning when she’d been told that he wished to see her after breakfast. She knew that she hadn’t done anything that might have angered him, so she guessed that it was perhaps in regards to a new assignment. A part of her looked forward to it, yet she had hoped for a little more time with her sister. Still, it was something that they were both used to and she personally found a certain honor in how often Ra’s selected her for missions.

Reaching the doorway, she paused and knocked on the door.

“Come in, Cheshire,” Oliver called out. “And close the door.”

Stepping inside, she found Ra’s sitting behind his desk. Nyssa was seated on the edge of the desk, facing the doorway, and Navid sat in a chair along the side wall. Once the door was closed, she took a step forward and bowed.

“How may I serve you, my lord?” Cheshire asked.

“When I first became Ra’s, Nyssa and others presented many important matters to me, all of which needed to be addressed. All but one have been and now, with your help, I will resolve the last one, that of an heir.”

Seeing the look that crossed Cheshire’s face, Nyssa couldn’t help be think that her husband could have worded that a little differently. Because to her, it sounded as if he wished to use her to create an heir, rather than wishing for her to be that heir. Standing from where she was perched, she walked over to the other woman and smiled.

“What my Husband means is that he wishes for you to become Warith al Ghul, the Heir to the Demon,” Nyssa said.

“Why me? Why not one of your horsemen? Or your sister?”

“My sister is not ready yet. If I had a few years, then yes, she might be a worthy choice. But the League needs continuity and my having named an heir provides that,” Oliver told her. “And yes, I could have chosen one of the League’s horsemen, but I believe that you are the right choice.”

Cheshire thought about that for a moment. She knew that his sister was not ready to be heir, that those outside the League as well as many inside of it would take it as a sign of weakness on his part. Cheshire, on the other hand, had a reputation, one built over the years spent serving the League. The only potential problem was that there were still those within the League who believed as Nyssa’s father had, that women were not capable of leading. They had grudgingly accepted Nyssa as his heir, because she was his daughter and they believed that the situation was only temporary. It was part of the reason they had been willing to accept Oliver as heir, believing it was better to have a somewhat untested al Sah-him was heir than any woman, even one as deadly as Nyssa.

“And you believe that I will not face the same resistance that Nyssa did when she was her father’s heir?” Cheshire asked, choosing to speak somewhat bluntly.

“Perhaps you shall, but this is the will of Ra’s al Ghul. If they wish to defy it, then they will find that I am not the man that my predecessor was. I do not believe one’s gender, race or orientation determine anything. Rather, it is your intelligence, you skills and you commitment that matter and I believe you have more than enough to be a worthy heir and successor.”

“Then, I accept with honor, my lord.”

Oliver nodded to Navid, who stood and left the room. Oliver, Nyssa and Cheshire followed and made their way to the hall containing the Lazarus Pit. Oliver and Nyssa stood with their backs to the pit, while Cheshire stood about four paces in front of them, facing them. It was here that they waited as the League’s horsemen slowly came filing into the room. When the last had entered, Navid closed the door.

“You have been assembled to bear witness,” Navid called out loudly.

“At the start of my reign as Ra’s, I was advised that there needed to be an heir. So, I spent time observing the League, looking for the one who would best serve as Warith al Ghul. I have found that person and am ready to proclaim my heir. Kneel before Cheshire, Warith al Ghul, Heir to the Demon.”

Oliver watched as the assembled horsemen knelt. He was looking for signs of descent, waiting for one of them to object. Yet, they all remained silent. He didn’t like that he was still suspicious of them, but he also knew that their lack of reaction might be due to years of serving the League and Nyssa’s father. He would need to be mindful of that going forward.

“Rise,” Oliver called. “Go forth and spread the word among your fellow members. Let them know that there is a Warith.”

With that, the horsemen stood and began to file out of the room. A few did come up and congratulate Cheshire on being chosen as Warith al Ghul. Observing them and her, Oliver got a sense that only one or two of them were actually genuinely congratulating her, while most were thinking of how they might use this to their advantage. He had anticipated that, which is why he had wanted to be sure he found the right person to make his heir. This was because the power of Warith al Ghul had only one limit, that of Ra’s himself. In the wrong hands, it could destroy the League itself.

“So, I probably should have asked this before, but what exactly are my duties as Warith al Ghul?” Cheshire asked them once they were alone.

“You will be doing much the same as you have been up to now. Just now, a part of you day will be spent assisting my Husband in running the League,” Nyssa told her. “When you speak, it is assumed that you are speaking for Ra’s, so measure your words carefully. Any orders you give, unless they conflict with an order from Ra’s himself, will be obeyed.”

Nyssa didn’t say that Cheshire was lucky in her Ra’s. That, unlike her father, Oliver would actually listen to his Warith. When she had been heir, Nyssa had power, yes, but not the unquestioned support that Cheshire would enjoy. There had been a number of occasions where her father had questioned a decision Nyssa had made. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that most of those decisions had involved Sara in some way. Nyssa took a moment to thank whatever had inspired her father to send her to Lian Yu, because that single step had begun the road that she was on now.

January 9, 2016

Central City

Caitlin walked into the command center for Team Flash carrying a white paper bag and a tray of coffees. She’d decided to stop that morning and pick up breakfast, seeing as it was a Saturday. The main reason that she was here today, instead of at home or partaking in a little retail therapy, was that she wanted to keep working on Laurel’s blood work. She’s run the samples last night and was hopeful that the machines had found something she could work with. If it did turn out to be the particle accelerator that caused Laurel’s ability, then they would all have a lot more thinking and investigating to do. They would also have to accept that their previous projections were badly in error, if the Dark Matter had made it so much further from Central City as to affect someone hundreds of miles away.

Caitlin put the coffees and bag down at Cisco’s workstation, then went into the med bay. Turning on the monitors, she took a few moments to bring up the tests she’d had running. Once everything was ready for her to start her day, she went back out to the main room. She was just pulling a ham, egg and cheese sandwich from the bag when she heard Barry and Cisco coming down the hall. Taking a second one out for Cisco, she put the rest of the bag aside for Barry. It was a necessary precaution given past history where Barry had devoured their lunches while eating his simply because he was still hungry and there was food there. Barry had apologized afterwards, but they all knew it was just a bi-product of his speedster metabolism.

“Morning, Caitlin,” Barry said as he saw her.

“Morning, Barry. Morning, Cisco,” Caitlin said back.

“It is a great morning,” Cisco said, the smile on his face even bigger than usual.

“What’s got you so happy?”

“Yeah, Cisco. You never did answer me before?”

“Am I not allowed to simply enjoy a beautiful day and time spent with my friends?”

“Try again, Cisco,” Caitlin said. “It’s probably going to snow today and likely tomorrow was well, not to mention you’re at work on the weekend.”

“OK, fine,” Cisco said with a grin. “So, you know how Laurel and I went to lunch yesterday? Let’s just say that it was amazing. We ended up talking for hours before making plans to see a movie this afternoon, followed by dinner.”

“Dinner and a movie? As in a date?”

“Yes, Caitlin. A date. Oh, and don’t think I don’t know that you nudged Laurel a little about asking me for a ride. And don’t worry, I’m not mad about that. I actually owe you one, Doctor Snow, because Laurel is amazing, if a little intimidating. I mean, she’s gorgeous, smart and funny. I look at her and I’m in awe, thinking she’s way out of my league. But, then we talk and it’s like the rest of the world goes away.”

“Well, I’m glad for you, Cisco,” Caitlin said, though a hint of sadness tinged her smile. Ronnie had been that person for her and she missed that feeling of being the center of someone’s universe.

Barry and Cisco both caught that and knew exactly what she was thinking about. Cisco felt a little bad bringing up his happiness, especially while Caitlin’s loss was still so fresh for her. He went to say something, only to catch Barry give him an imperceptible shake of the head. Instead, Barry put his hand on hers and gave it a little squeeze, drawing her attention to him and the soft smile he offered her. These two, they were his family as much as Joe and Iris were. And being family, they would celebrate the good times together and comfort one another in the bad times. Today was a little of both and he knew that Caitlin was genuinely happy for Cisco and he wouldn’t let Cisco feel bad for being happy.

“I’m happy for you too, Cisco,” Barry said. “Though I do think Caitlin should suggest a mental health check for Laurel if she’s thinking about dating you.”

“Jerk,” Cisco said, drawing a laugh from Caitlin and a smile from Barry. “Just for that, I’m confiscating these delicious sandwiches.”

Cisco and Caitlin both roared in laughter as Barry snatched up the bag and his coffee before Cisco’s hand could even move. And just like that, the sadness was pushed further away as they each took a moment to enjoy this feeling. However, before they could enjoy it too long, a beeping came from Caitlin’s lab. She took her sandwich with her and settled down behind the monitor. She had to check the readings twice just to be sure, then she pulled up the first readings that they had taken from Barry. She split the screen and looked, then magnified the blood samples.

“What’s the verdict, Caitlin?”

“I need to make a call first,” Caitlin said, as she picked up her phone and called Laurel. All she had to say was that she had the results and Laurel told her she was on her way. Twenty minutes later, Laurel walked into the lab. She was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, a black spaghetti strap top and her black leather jacket. The look was casual yet sexy and Caitlin suspected that it was put together with one person in mind.

“So, how bad is it?” Laurel asked.

“Not exactly bad, just not what I was expecting. You’re a meta-human, but that gene was dormant. Looking at your blood work and DNA, I can safely say that the gene was something you inherited, rather than as a result of any manipulation or experimentation. However, I think that coming here to Central City helped trigger it, inadvertently. Your blood shows small amounts of dark matter, about one percent the level that someone like Barry has. I can do more testing, but I believe that this was enough, along with a surge in adrenaline because of the robbery, to cause that dormant gene to emerge and trigger your abilities.”

“So, that scream, it’s permanent?”

“Yes,” Caitlin said gently, laying a hand on the lawyer’s shoulder. “We helped Barry learn to use his abilities, we’ll help you too.”

“And, at least you won’t have to worry about Oliver shooting you as part of your training,” Barry said with a grin.

“He did what?!?” Laurel started to yell, only to choke it down at the last second, worried that it would trigger her abilities and she would hurt them.

“Yeah, he had me run at him while he fired an arrow at me. I caught it and started to celebrate, thinking I had won when he triggered two crossbows behind me. It hurt like hell, but it also made his point. As fast as I am, I have the time to fully check things out, yet I was constantly running in without doing so. Oliver doing that, it really showed me how dangerous that was, not just to me but to anyone I might be trying to help.”

Laurel looked at Caitlin and Cisco, not knowing what to make of that. Yet, she saw them nodding their heads in agreement. She wondered if they had been trying to make similar points to Barry and he had brushed them off, not willing to listen until he was shown the truth. It was something she would have to keep in mind, if she decided to join them out there. Before she did though, she would have to make sure she had mastered her new ability.

“When do we begin?”

“Now is as good a time as any,” Barry said, looking at his teammates. Seeing them nod, he led the way out to the parking lot and the STAR Labs van. There was a full set of monitoring equipment already on site at the old annex and it would take only a little time to get everything that they would need set up. He figured that their first order of business would be to determine what exactly triggered the scream. Once they knew that, then they could start work on how to stop it as well as how to control the power of it, if possible.

When they arrived at the old annex, Laurel smiled at the open space. It really looked like an abandoned airfield, more than a science research facility. Barry and Cisco began setting up targets, while Caitlin working on getting her wired up to all manner of sensors. Laurel didn’t have a clue what all of them could do, but she trusted Caitlin to keep her safe. She knew that they were going to try to start slowly, but that if something did happen, they would be there for her.

“So, what name did you go by when you were helping the Arrow?” Cisco asked as he and Barry came back from setting up the targets.

“I was the Black Canary,” Laurel said, a smile on her face as she thought about the meaning behind the name.

“Then, if Caitlin’s ready, it’s time for you to sing, pretty bird.”

Laurel gave him a smile, while Caitlin just rolled her eyes.

“Remember, Laurel. Nice and easy. Right now, we just want to see what activates your abilities. Once you’ve got control, then we can focus on power,” Barry said to her as she walked forward, while he went to join the others.

Laurel stopped at the white line and waited. When Caitlin gave the go ahead, she took a deep breath and then screamed. She could feel herself get angry. She’d done this before, so why wasn’t it working now. This time, she was able to do it, but the effect was weaker than it had been in the bank. She just needed to figure out what was different between now and then, what had changed. Right now, she was just mad, but at the bank, she’d been absolutely terrified. She wondered if that was it, did she have to be in fear of her life in order to fully use her ability? Could it work with any strong emotion, or was it only fear?

Laurel took a moment and thought of everything that had angered her over the last three years. She allowed that anger to build, to act as what she hoped would be fuel. Once it had, she took a deep breath and really screamed. She watched as the test dummies that had been set up all went flying. She didn’t see that Cisco and Caitlin were holding their ears, even over top of the noise protectors that they were wearing. She didn’t hear Barry calling for her to stop. All she could do was just let everything out. It was only a shake of her shoulder that got Laurel to stop.

“Wow, Laurel,” Cisco said after giving his head a shake. “That was amazing.”

“Here, drink this,” Caitlin told her, handing her a bottle of water. “What were you thinking about before that last attempt?”

“Malcolm Merlyn, the Undertaking. Basically every thing that had made me angry.”

“OK, that explains the readings. There was a spike in your brainwave activity, as well as an increase in the endorphins being released. Emotions like fear, anger, sorrow would all be possible triggers. The stronger those emotions, the more powerful the cry.”

“And if I’m not feeling those things, then no scream?” Laurel asked.

“Possibly. Like I’d said earlier, an increase in adrenaline could also be a trigger. Such as the fight or flight instinct. So, we’ll have the guys set the targets up again and try again,” Caitlin said.

The rest of the day was spent working out the triggers for Laurel’s abilities. Once they felt that they had them figured out, the next step was to get her to stay aware and in the moment, so that she could stop the scream once the targets were down. This proved to be harder to achieve, as it took focus for the cry itself to work. They also discovered that the more she used it, the more it wore her out. Caitlin looked at her blood sugar numbers and realized that, while not as high as Barry’s, Laurel’s abilities had changed her metabolism and she needed to replace the calories that she was burning. This led to Barry being sent on a food run and Laurel being sat down to rest until the speedster returned with pizzas for all of them.

Finally, they called it a day. Everyone was feeling good about what they had achieved and planned to continue working on this Monday. The drive back to STAR Labs was spent in banter, as the members of Team Flash used the time to get better acquainted with the lawyer from Starling City. Still, nobody had yet broached the idea of her joining their team. Barry wanted to find a way to talk with Oliver before he made an offer, while Laurel wanted to focus more on herself at the moment rather than finding a way to fight crime in her new hometown.

Once they got back to STAR Labs, the foursome split up. Cisco and Laurel headed out for dinner, deciding to modify their previous plans since they’d missed out on the showtime for the movie they had planned to see. So, they would do dinner and then take a walk along the waterfront, finding time for the movie another day. Barry and Caitlin each went their separate ways, with Barry heading for Joe’s while Caitlin went over to the Steins for supper and some Trivia Pursuit.


	34. Solutions, Problems and Truths

January 9, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Oliver and Cheshire had spent most of the morning going over the pile of reports on his desk. There were frequent pauses, as she would have questions about something she read, but they had still managed to make a large dent in it by the time lunch had come. Oliver had pronounced himself satisfied with their progress and decided that they would take a break after lunch to train. It was something that he knew he was slackening on, given how busy he was with other aspects of the League. Still, he needed to get back to it.

That was why Oliver and Cheshire were now in Ra’s personal training room. He was armed with a katana, while she had her signature Sai. It would make for interesting training for both of them, going up against dissimilar weapons. It would also give him the opportunity to learn how to fight against someone armed with Sai, even if such an actual fight would be a rare occasion. So, they went back and forth, starting somewhat slowly at first as he learned the advantages and disadvantages for both his weapon as well as hers. After that, they picked up the pace, moving across the room as each searched for the right moment to strike.

An hour later, both of them had managed to work up a good sweat when he signaled a stop. It wasn’t that he was tired, not even close. His training in the League had greatly increased his stamina, even over what it had been like when he’d been Starling City’s vigilante. Rather, it was that he needed to get back to his office and get through more of the paperwork. He would, however, make sure that this was a regular thing, taking time after lunch for training. And once he’d defeated the monster that was on his desk, he would try to make it two hours, rather than the one hour today.

“I’m going back to my office. Go and observe how training is going today,” Oliver said.

“Yes, my Lord,” Cheshire said, bowing slightly before turning and leaving.

Cheshire’s first stop was the main training room. It was the largest and the one that most of the League’s members used. She stood by the doorway and watched as Assassins and Shadows practiced their archery, as well as their swordsmanship. She smiled as she watched a few of the horsemen walking around and giving instructions or advice, yet most of it was more or less free form. Things like this were the mainstay of life in the League for most members, just training so that they were ready when called upon.

After a few minutes, Cheshire moved on to another training room. Here, she found her sister working with Thea, Roy and Helena on their archery. Observing, she could see that Ra’s sister and her beloved were almost at League level, while the former mafia princess was still struggling. Not only struggling, but also complaining about it. Cheshire saw Nyssa standing at the back of the room and moved over to her.

“How is her training going?” Cheshire asked, even though she had a suspicion.

“Not well. She’s getting the hand-to-hand moderately well, but archery is proving to be beyond even your sister’s talents. She gets frustrated too easily, making her next attempts go even worse,” Nyssa said. “She also likes to point out that she’s more than proficient with her crossbows and that we should just let her use those.”

“Perhaps we should.”

Nyssa turned to look at her, having heard something in the tone of her voice.

“What are you suggesting?”

“I wonder how the little princess would fare against Sarie,” Cheshire replied, a smirk on her face. “Her and her precious crossbows against Sarie and her bow. Ten shots apiece, judged based on speed and accuracy. If she wins, she may keep her crossbows. But if she loses, then she stops complaining and learns the bow that we all use.”

Nyssa smiled at the idea. It was simple, yet elegant. What her Beloved had often referred to as ‘Put up or shut up’. She also knew that Thea would not be opposed to such a contest and by having Helena go against someone not yet a League member, the brat could not complain that the contest had been rigged.

“An excellent suggestion, Warith al Ghul,” Nyssa said before stepping forward. “Enough! Helena, go and get your crossbows. We shall put an end to this once and for all.”

“How do you propose to do that?” Artemis asked as Helena ran from the training room.

“We are going to prove to her that her crossbows are slower and less accurate than even a new recruit is with a compound bow. Ten shots apiece, scored on speed and accuracy, with Sarie doing the shooting.”

“Thank you, Nyssa,” Thea told her sister-in-law.

“Just remember, speed and accuracy. Move quickly, but deliberately. Aim carefully,” Nyssa replied. “I have no doubt that you will beat her.”

With that, Nyssa and Roy went downrange and prepared the targets for the competition. Each shooter would have their own target with enough space between them that it would be easy to see which was which. They also collected all of the other arrows that were currently in the targets, as well as turning those targets that would not be used so that they would not be accidentally mistaken for a target. By the time all of this was accomplished, Helena was running back into the room with her pair of crossbows and quiver of bolts.

“So, what’s the deal?” Helena asked.

“Very simple. We’re going to prove to you why you need to forget about those and concentrate on your League bow. You against Sarie, ten shots each. The winner will be determined by a combination of speed and accuracy. If you win, you can keep the crossbows. If you lose, then you learn what Artemis has been trying to teach you without further comment. The bow does not need to be your primary weapon. Cheshire uses her Sais primarily, Ta-er al-Sahfer prefers her Bo and others prefer the sword, yet all have mastery of the bow as well,” Nyssa told her.

Helena looked over at Thea and smirked. She figured that she could easily beat this girl who was only here because of who her brother was. Thea, on the other hand, just stared at the other woman. She knew she had nothing to prove, least of all to the former mafia princess. She’d trained under Malcolm, Dig, her brother, Sara, Nyssa and now Artemis and Cheshire. All of them had told her that she was doing well, but that she could do better. She also knew that Nyssa would have never proposed her for this if she had any real belief that she could lose. So, she just turned and walked over to the firing line opposite her target. Slinging her bow, she reached back and removed all the arrows from her quiver, then counted out ten of them to put back. The rest, she placed on the ground in front of her.

Ready, she looked over at Artemis, who stood in the middle between them. The older woman raised her arm and then dropped it. Thea was reaching for her first arrow when Helena fired her crossbows. A part of the former heiress wanted to protest what she felt was cheating, but instead decided to just focus on her task. She knocked and fired at a steady pace, reaching for her next arrow before the previous one was barely gone. She dropped into a zone, barely hearing anything but the slight thwack of her bowstring on release. Her eyes staying focused on her sight picture and relying on the muscle memory that she had built up to take her through each repetition. In fact, it was only when she reached back for another arrow and felt nothing but air that she realized she was done.

Looking over, Thea saw that Helena was still reloading her crossbows. A glance at her quiver showed two more bolts left, meaning the woman had anywhere from three to four more shots to take. Unfortunately for her, this wasn’t Hollywood where they had multiple shot crossbows. She had to pull the bowstring back each time and secure it before she could seat her bolt, a process that was more complicated that what Thea had had to do. Watching her go through the process, Thea figured that she was able to fire twice for how long it took to load that crossbow. So, she took the time to pick up her remaining arrows and then put her bow and quiver on the rack with the other equipment.

“Nicely done,” Roy told her quietly.

“Indeed it was, Sarie,” Nyssa told her with a smile. “Even if you let her get ahead of you at the start by not having an arrow knocked when you approached the line, you still finished well ahead of her and from what I can see, your grouping is very good as well.”

“Thank you, Nyssa. I just tried to remember everything that I have been taught,” Thea said.

“You and al-Tirsana have both done very well with that, which has been noted. Ah, she is done. Now, we can score this match.”

Nyssa walked over to where Artemis and Cheshire stood with Helena down at the targets. As she looked at them, it was obvious to her who had won. However, she kept quiet, wanting either Artemis or Cheshire to give the verdict. What she wasn’t expecting was for it to be Helena who broke the silence.

“She won,” the former Mafia princess said dejectedly. “I don’t understand how, but she did.”

“Now, are you finally ready to listen to what I have to teach you?” Artemis said.

“I am. I need to be able to do better than that.”

“Then hand over those crossbows and collect the bow and quiver that you have been training with.”

The others went back to the far end of the room and watched as Artemis began to once again instruct Helena in archery. This time, there were no comments, no complaints, but rather the sound of the arrow hitting the target, the thwack of the bowstring and the soft exhalation of air. After watching for a time, Roy and Thea each collected their bows and quivers before going to the other target. The pair of them traded, acting as silent examples to the woman. Artemis saw what they were doing and gave them a nod and a smile.

Cheshire and Nyssa exchanged looks and smiles. This, they hoped, would be the beginning of actually training Helena and making her into a League member. They also knew this was her last chance, with either of them. If she pushed back any more, they would have to go before Ra’s and report that she was simply un-trainable. That would then mean that her life would be forfeit, most likely ended on the blade of Ra’s al Ghul. And while Nyssa didn’t like the woman, she believe there was too much potential to see it ended in such a manner.

January 11, 2016

Starling City

Felicity came out of her house and found Dig waiting at the curb beside the car. Walking towards him, she gave him the best smile that she could. She had to admit that she was feeling a little better, for brief moments, than she had been and for now, she would take that as a victory. Clearly Dig did as well, if his answering smile was anything to go by or the gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Good morning, Felicity,” Dig said as he held the door open for her.

“Morning, Dig,” Felicity told him back and while her tone wasn’t her usual bright cheery one, it also wasn’t the mournful one she’d had since Ray’s passing.

“It’s good to see you’re doing a little better.”

“Well, Mom came over yesterday and insisted on girl’s day. We ended up doing a bit of retail therapy followed by a trip to a spa for facials, massages and manipedies. But, most importantly, we spent a lot of time just talking, which is something that I’ve never really been able to do with my Mom. Usually, we’re good for a couple of hours, not a whole day. But this time, this time was different. We laughed and we cried, we cried a lot actually. And at the end of it, I felt a little better. Not like amazing better, where I’ll be singing ‘The Sun will come out tomorrow, tomorrow,’ or anything. More like I feel like I can face the day without every little thing threatening to cause me to tear up.”

“I know what you mean,” Dig told her. “Carly was like that when Andy died, where even something innocuous could cause her to cry, because she’d hear it and remember something that connected it to him and that was all it took.”

“How did she get past it?” Felicity asked.

“I think part of it was AJ. She had someone she needed to be there for, someone who needed her. So, she had to go to work, she had to make sure his clothes were cleaned and he had something to eat. It was a struggle at times, but slowly, day by day, she made it through her grief. And you will too, Felicity.”

Felicity nodded and smiled a little at that, as she recognized the inherent truth in his words. She just had to give it time, much as she would if this was a physical injury. It wouldn’t heal overnight and there would be days when it hurt as badly as it had at the very start. The day would come eventually when she would be able to look back on her relationship with Ray and not feel this crushing ache, but rather a certain fondness and even happiness for having had what time they’d had together. And perhaps by then, her nightmares will have faded away as well, so that she could sleep through the night and not jolt awake in a cold sweat.

Giving herself a quick five count before her mind started racing down that path and the happiness she’d started the day with evaporated, Felicity pulled out her tablet and reviewed what was on her schedule for the day. Only finding two meetings, she figured most of her day would be spent working on paperwork instead. That thought was almost enough to kill her good mood, but then she saw that one of the meetings was with Curtis and his team. She figured that it was likely an update on the Power Cell, which got her mood back.

Feeling the car slow, Felicity looked out and saw that they were at Palmer Technologies. Dig pulled into the parking garage and the pair walked to the elevators. A quick trip up the executive elevator and he was stationed outside her office, while she got started on her day. Gerry walked in after her, a large mug of coffee and her updated schedule at hand.

“There’s one addition to your schedule. Mister Solomons called and requested a time. I was able to put him down for nine, as he said that he had something important to discuss with you,” Gerry told her.

“That will be fine, Gerry. The meeting with Applied Sciences isn’t until ten thirty, so there should be plenty of time,” Felicity told him.

“Other than that, your messages are on your desk, along with a couple of new project proposals for you to review.”

“Thank you, Gerry. Buzz me when Mister Solomons arrives.”

Gerry nodded his head and left the office, taking up his place behind his desk. Felicity started to go through the messages and return the calls of some, while putting others to the side to be forwarded to the relevant department to respond to. A few were handled in a more direct manner, with her ripping them in half and dropping them in her wastebasket. She wasn’t interested in speaking to any reporters. The company’s PR department was handling it, as far as she was concerned and she was damned sure that she wasn’t going to expose her emotions to the general public, much less some reporter who she didn’t know and who would have absolutely no concern for what she was going through.

When she was finished with the messages, she opened up the first of the proposals. As she read it, her eyes began to widen and she had to resist the urge to pick up the phone and call Curtis. She couldn’t believe that something like this was possible, but then she had felt that way at first regarding the Power Cell. He had proved her wrong then, so she went back to the beginning and read it a second time, more slowly than the first. Once she felt she had a firm grasp on the project and the potential pros and cons of proceeding with it, she turned to her computer and opened a blank Word document. Before she could begin putting her thoughts down, her intercom buzzed.

Looking up, she could see Mister Solomons standing in front of Gerry’s desk. Her eyes just about bulged out of her head when she saw who was standing behind him. She was definitely not expecting to see Bruce Wayne here today. She wasn’t prepared for this. A part of her wanted to ask the lawyer into her office and demand to know why he hadn’t told her that Bruce Fracking Wayne was going to be coming with him. But, she knew if she did that, the billionaire would easily hear her, especially if her loud voice made an appearance, which it likely would. So, she did the only thing that she could, which was to stand up and walk out of her office.

“Mister Solomons, good to see you again,” Felicity said as she shook his hand before turning to Bruce. “Mister Wayne, a pleasure to meet you in person.”

“You as well, Miss Smoak,” Bruce replied, taking her hand. “May I introduce my associate, Barbara Gordon.”

“Miss Smoak, a pleasure,” Barbara told her, holding her hand up for the blonde to take.

“As well, Miss Gordon. Won’t you follow me, please.”

Felicity lead the way down to the small conference room and was happy to find it empty. She saw that Dig was bringing up the rear and smiled watching him keep an eye on Bruce, though she did have to wonder why. There was no way that someone as famous as Bruce Wayne was an actual physical threat to her, especially not somewhere as public as her own place of employment. Yet, something had triggered his threat radar, Felicity knew because she’d seen it before when they’d been on Team Arrow. So, she was going to make sure to pay attention and see if she could figure out what it was.

“Miss Smoak,” Mister Solomons said once everyone was seated around the table. “As you requested, I reached out to Wayne Enterprises regarding the remaining stock of Palmer Technologies. After explaining that Doctor Palmer’s estate wished to sell the shares, they connected me with Mister Fox and Mister Wayne. They, in turn, had several proposals regarding the purchase and asked to speak with you, as a couple of them had a more direct impact upon yourself than others.”

“We actually have three separate proposals,” Bruce told her, opening his briefcase and removing a pile of folders. He handed three to Mister Solomons and slid three more across to Felicity. “The first proposal is the most straightforward. We would agree to pay the estate two point four billion dollars for the remaining forty-five percent of Palmer Technologies. At that time, there would be further discussions with upper management of the former company regarding severance packages, as those positions would be mostly redundant as the company would be run as part of Wayne Technologies. The second proposal most directly affects you, Miss Smoak. We would agree to purchase thirty-five percent of Palmer Technologies stock from the estate for one point eight billion dollars, while exchanging the remaining ten percent of the stock for a comparable amount of Wayne Enterprises Stock. With that amount of stock, the estate would have a seat on the board of Wayne Enterprises. There are two caveats to this deal, however. The stock could not be sold for five years and you would need to accept the position of Vice President of Wayne Tech, at a salary on par with that of other Vice Presidents within Wayne Enterprises. As Vice President of Wayne Tech, you would be nominally the boss of Miss Gordon, however she reports directly to myself and Lucius.”

“So, I would be responsible for her budget and her work, while having no say in either?” Felicity asked, incredulously.

“There are reasons for that, but unless and until you agree to this proposal, I will not go into them any further. The last proposal, we would pay the estate two point four billion dollars for the remaining forty-five percent of Palmer Technologies. At that time, you would accept the position of Director of Applied Sciences here in Starling City with a five year contract, as well as a non-competition agreement if the contract is terminated before the five years have ended. Now, I know this is a lot to take in and I certainly do not expect a decision today.”

“I have so many questions that I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Well, perhaps you would join myself and Barbara later for dinner and we could discuss those. It would also provide you with some time to think about the proposals as well,” Bruce said. “We’re staying at the Starling Grande. We could have a working dinner in the sitting room of the suite and it would be private as well.”

“That would be fine,” Felicity said after a glance at Dig. “Shall we say seven?”

“We shall see you then. For now, we’ll take our leave so that you can get back to work.”

With that, Bruce stood and walked to the door, which he held open for Barbara to roll her wheelchair through. He then turned back to Felicity, who had stood as well, and extended his hand. After shaking hands with her and Mister Solomons, he turned and followed Barbara down the hall to the elevators. Felicity, however, had turned back into the conference room and sat back down.

“What do you think of the offers?”

“The price is in line with the value of the shares. I will say, however, that I don’t like the amount of unknown information regarding the second offer. Nor do I like the fact that the only way that you can know that information is after you’ve signed the agreements,” Mister Solomons told her.

“I agree,” Felicity said. “Also, the fact that he is withholding that information makes me wonder if what I learn after I sign would be the whole truth or if there would still be things that he would keep from me.”

“If you want my personal opinion, I would suggest agreeing to the first proposal. Then you could start your own company and chart your own course. I think that is what Doctor Palmer would have wanted for you. And even after taxes, you would still have a large fortune to invest into such a company. However, this is your future we are talking about. Therefore, take you time and consider what you want.”

“Thank you, Mister Solomons.”

“Just let me know once you’ve reached a decision and I will get started on the paperwork needed,” Mister Solomons told her as he stood up.

“I will,” Felicity assured him as she shook his hand and escorted him to the elevator. Once he was gone, she made her way back to her office. However, she didn’t get much work done, as her mind was too busy thinking about both the offers made by Bruce Wayne and the other proposal that she had been reading earlier, for something Curtis was referring to as a bio-stimulant. A part of her wanted to just drop her head onto her desk, wishing that the engineer had thought up this idea either a month ago or a month from now. Or that instead of a bio-stimulant, he had come up with a time machine. A time machine would be so useful right now, the only problem would be how far back would she go. A month and she could possibly stop Ray’s death from happening. Two years, maybe? Get Oliver to tell his sister about Malcolm being her father, because that was the beginning of the path that ended with him becoming Ra’s. Or perhaps just go back to the day she graduated MIT and instead of choosing Queen Consolidated, she could have picked any other company. That would have kept her from becoming tech support to a vigilante as well as meeting and falling in love with either Oliver or Ray.

While Felicity sat there lost in her thoughts, the work day continued for the remainder of Palmer Technologies.

January 11, 2016

Central City

Laurel hung up her phone and silently cheered. Her interview last week at Brown and Chamberlain had gone well, it seemed, and they had called to make her an offer. They had also told her that the state bar was willing to accept her exam from Washington state, as they were part of the multi-state exam she had taken there. She suspected that someone from the firm had put in a good word for her as well, which in the past would have upset her. Now, however, she viewed things like that from a more realistic point of view. Besides, it meant that she’d be able to help people using the legal system more quickly and that was what really mattered.

Looking up ahead, she spotted Jitters as well as Cisco sitting at a table by the windows. She could tell the moment he saw her, as his smile changed, becoming softer and more intimate, something meant just for her. It made her blush just a little, how quickly they seemed to be falling for each other. This was their fourth date if they counted that first lunch, which she knew she did, and yet they felt like old friends.

Waving to him as she came through the door, she went up to the counter and ordered before going to join him. The barista, Kendra, came over a moment later with her banana nut bread and large caramel latte as well as a refill of Cisco’s black coffee. The woman wasn’t surprised that neither of them really noticed her, given their eyes were locked on each other. She did internally sigh, wishing someone would look at her like that, as she went around to a few tables before going back behind the counter.

“So, how was your morning?” Cisco asked.

“Great. You are looking at an associate at Brown and Chamberlain,” Laurel said with a grin.

“That’s great, Laurel. Though I think Joe might be hurt you didn’t apply for something with the DA’s office.”

“Joe?”

“Oh, you haven’t met Joe before,” Cisco said. “Joe is Iris’s father as well as Barry’s, sort of. See, when Barry was eleven, his mother was murdered and his father was arrested and imprisoned for it. Joe and Iris took him in after that. Joe’s a detective with the CCPD and Iris works for Central City Picture News as a reporter.”

“And they both know Barry’s secret?” Laurel said softly.

Cisco just nodded. Because he certainly wasn’t about to get into any kind of discussion about Barry’s secret, the Team’s secret, in a public place.

“I think you’ll like them, once you meet them. Just, don’t tell Joe you’re a friend of Oliver’s, because he’s definitely not a fan.”

“Of Oliver Queen or the Arrow?”

“I’d probably go with both,” Cisco said with a laugh, one that Laurel joined in.

“I’ll remember that,” Laurel said.

The pair of them finished their cup while Laurel also ate her bread. They were standing up to leave when Cisco’s hand brushed hers briefly and he suddenly zoned out. Laurel just looked at him, not sure what had happened, because she didn’t know that he was a meta-human too. Nor did she know about his abilities, one of which had activated with that touch.

Cisco looked around the stone room that he was in, taking in the bars that marked it as some kind of cell. Turning from them was when he first saw them, saw Laurel. She was held in chains, her hands cuffed over her head, her legs spread by those fastened to her ankles, a blindfold and panel gag obscuring her face. But what was worse, as far as he was concerned, was the lack of clothing on her, as well as the man who stood in front of her. He could also see a man who stood to the side, who was actually filming as the other man proceeded to rape the helpless woman. Cisco couldn’t help feeling dirty just for seeing this, while he silently cried.

When he snapped out of the vision, he could feel the tears on his cheeks. He could also feel Laurel next to him. But he couldn’t bring himself to look at her, not after having seen what he had seen. Did she know what had been done to her, was the first thought that came to him. It was followed closely by a second, how to tell her what he’d seen. Because if she didn’t know and was then told by him, how would she take that.

“Are you alright, Cisco?”

‘Am I alright,’ he wanted to say. ‘I should be the one asking you that.’

“Can we go somewhere and talk? Somewhere private?”

“Yeah, we can go to my place. My mom’s at the University, so there’ll be no one around to interrupt,” Laurel said, leading the way to her car, concerned about Cisco who was still acting off.

The drive to Laurel’s was spent in slightly uncomfortable silence. She was concerned about him, while he was working out how he was going to tell her. It took him a moment after she’d stopped her car in the driveway before he was able to get out and follow her into the house. Walking into the living room, she went to the couch and sat down, while Cisco took the chair to the side of her. As tempting as it was to sit next to her, he believed that he needed to be where she could easily see his face, so that she could see the truth in his eyes.

“I guess the place to start is by telling you that I have abilities, too,” Cisco told her. “Though I still don’t know what triggers them or their full range, what I do know is that I get ‘visions’. They started as dreams, but now they can also happen while I’m awake. Some are of the past, things that I wasn’t a witness to and should have no way of knowing. Some are things that will happen in the future, though I don’t know when that might be.”

“And you saw something when we were leaving Jitters?”

“Yes.”

“What did you see, Cisco?” Laurel asked, wanting to help him with whatever it was that he was struggling with. She watched as Cisco silently shook his head, his eyes closed as a trail of tears started ghosting down his cheeks. “Please, Cisco, tell me. Let me help you with this.”

“I can’t, Laurel,” Cisco said, still shaking his head, as if in denial of what he had seen. “Because it was a vision of you.”

“Me? What happened to me? Something bad, given the way that you’re reacting. Was I killed? Because you said that these can be of the future, so that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will come true.”

“No. It was something worse than that, Laurel. I saw somebody rape you.”

Laurel’s jaw just about hit the floor at that. It was the last thing that she was expecting to hear him say, yet it so perfectly explained his reactions. As she thought that, she also felt a wave a nausea hit her, as a surge of emotions hit her all at once. Anger was followed by horror joined with revulsion. She suddenly felt unclean. The only thing that she could cling to was what she had told Cisco just moments before, that his visions, according to him, can be of the future as well as the past. So this could be an event yet to come, not something that had already happened. Plus, she couldn’t think of not being able to remember something like being raped, because something like that was certain to stick in the mind, unless...unless she’d been drugged. And with that thought, she knew it wasn’t the future he’d seen, but rather Lian Yu, Slade and the other man.

Laurel bolted off the couch at that thought, rushing to the downstairs bath. She just barely reached the toilet and gotten the lid up before she was vomiting. After the first eruption, she sank to her knees in front of the toilet and vomited twice more, with tears joining into the mix. As she knelt there, she became aware of a presence behind her, a hand holding her hair out of the way while another gently rubbed her back.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Cisco whispered softly to her, as he rubbed her back comfortingly. He felt terrible for having told her this, even if in his heart he knew that she needed to know the truth, no matter how ugly it might be.

When she no longer felt the need to throw up, Laurel slowly got back to her feet. She was a little unsteady, as she wobbled a little as Cisco moved to steady her, though he was careful about where he touched her. Together, they walked back to the living room, only this time he joined her on the couch. She took his arm and settled it over her shoulder, so that she could nestle into him.

“Thank you, for telling me,” Laurel said. “It hurts, a lot, but eventually I’ll heal from this.”

“I know you will, pretty bird. Because you’re a warrior.”

Laurel smiled softly at that, dozing off. Cisco pulled the throw from the back of it and draped it over them, before leaning his head on hers and falling asleep. And that was the image that greeted Dinah Lance when she came through the door a couple of hours later. So, she quietly stepped back out and closed the door. She figured she’d give them another hour to wake up before she “came home”, bringing some takeout from this deli that she liked and met her daughter’s boyfriend for the first time.


	35. A New Day

January 11, 2016

Starling City

Felicity was busy typing away on her computer when she happened to see the time out of the corner of her eye. She jolted to a stop, upset to see how late it was. She had hoped for a chance to go home and change before her business dinner with Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon, but now there was no time for that. In fact, there was only fifteen minutes before she was due to be at their hotel. She looked at the document she was working on and knew that she would have to come back to it, either after dinner or tomorrow. So, she saved what she had and then shut down the computer for the night.

Getting up from her chair, she stretched and sighed. She would have liked nothing more than to go home, fill her tub with hot water and some bath salts and just soak until the water started to turn cold. Instead, she was going to the Starling Grande, where she would spend who knew how long talking business and then going home, by which point she would likely be so tired she would just go to bed.

“Let’s go, Dig,” Felicity said as she walked out of her office. “Good night, Gerry.”

“Good night, Ms. Smoak,” Gerry replied as he watched them walk to the elevators.

“You don’t look happy,” Dig said once they were on their way down in the elevator.

“Gee, is it that obvious? I mean, I’ve just put in a full day of work and now I have to go and talk to the person who may be my future boss. And I haven’t come up with any questions about his proposals, because I’ve been too busy actually working to think about them, so I can’t ask anything about them over dinner. And wasn’t that the point of this, so that I could ask him questions?”

“Felicity, take a breath, okay. Instead of thinking about what to ask, maybe you should start by listening to what he says. And trust me, knowing you, the questions will come.”

“I would be insulted if it wasn’t absolutely true,” Felicity said with a small chuckle. “My tendency to babble is legendary, after all.”

Exiting the elevator, Dig led the way to the car and held the back door open for her. Once she was inside, he closed the door and then got in the front seat. Checking their surroundings once more, he pulled out of the parking spot and drove out of the garage. The hotel was just down the street and it was only a minute before he was pulling into their garage. Finding a spot, he backed in and then got out. Dig did a quick check here as well before he opened the door and let Felicity exit the car. He then led her to the elevators and on up to the lobby. He followed her across the lobby to the reception desk.

“May I help you?” the man behind the desk asked.

“Mr. Wayne’s suite, please,” Felicity said. “My name is Felicity Smoak.”

“One moment.”

She watched as he called up and confirmed that she was expected. He then directed them back to the elevators, informing her that Mr. Wayne was in the penthouse. Dig heard this and once they were in the elevator, he pressed the button for the top floor. By the time they arrived, the door to the suite was standing open, with an older gentleman standing there. All she could think, looking at him, was that he looked to be straight out of central casting for a butler.

“Good evening, Miss Smoak, Mister Diggle. My name is Alfred,” the man told her, a tinge of an English accent to his voice that reminded her of Walter Steele. “Master Bruce and Miss Barbara was in the sitting room. Would either of you care for something to drink?”

“Thank you, Alfred. A glass of red wine would be nice, please. Dig?”

“Ginger ale, if you have it,” Dig told him.

“Certainly, Sir. I will have them for you momentarily.”

With that, he showed them into the sitting room. Bruce was sitting in a chair at a ninety degree angle to the couch, dressed in a black, faintly pinstriped suit. The redhead with her back to them, Felicity knew, had to be Barbara Gordon, something that was confirmed when she turned her wheelchair to better see them. Seeing the way they were seated, she decided on the couch for herself and waited to see if Dig would join her there. By the time Alfred returned with their drinks, he had just settled into the spot next to her.

“Dinner will be ready shortly, Master Bruce,” Alfred said as he handed off the drinks with a smile.

“Thank you, Alfred,” Bruce replied as he looked at Felicity. “We’re having Salmon, roasted potatoes and asparagus.”

“That sounds fine,” Felicity told him.

“Did you have any questions about the proposals I presented today?”

“The second one, you never mentioned where I would be working? I mean, it was obvious with the third that I would be here and for the first, it wouldn't be mentioned because I would work wherever I chose to. Why not with the second?”

“My mistake. I had believed it would be obvious, but I should have spelled it out. Given that you would both be Vice President of Wayne Tech, as well as a member of the board, you would need to be in Gotham. Wayne Enterprises would cover the cost of the move, even the cost of breaking your lease agreement here and we would assist in your finding a place to live in Gotham,” Bruce told her.

“Yet, you can not tell me any more than the most basic of facts about that proposal. I could find myself across the country in a strange place, without any friends and in a job that I am not suited for nor prepared for. And this is supposed to be a serious business proposal?” Felicity asked.

“Trust me, Miss Smoak. Not only is this a serious business proposal, but I already know that you have more than enough talent for all aspects of the position.”

Between the tone of his voice and the intense looks that both Bruce and Barbara were giving her, Felicity had to fight to repress an involuntary shiver. She felt like the pair were gazing into her very soul and could see all of her secrets. She stole a glance at Dig, to see what he thought. Unfortunately, his face was unreadable.

“Dinner is served, Master Bruce,” Alfred announced quietly.

Conversation over dinner was somewhat lighter, mostly centered around the day-to-day of both Wayne Enterprises and Palmer Technologies. Bruce was especially interested in learning as much as he could about the Power Cell. Barbara and Felicity bonded a little over their shared love of technology, especially computer science. Barbara was fairly closed mouthed about how she used computers, but the few glimmers of information she revealed intrigued the blonde IT professional. And if there was one things about her that those closest to her all knew, it was that she hated mysteries and this job and all the secrets that couldn’t be spoken, well that was a mystery, one that in her heart she knew she needed to solve.

By the time dinner was over, Felicity had made her decision. For better or for worse, she was going to take the second proposal and see where it led her. She would need to call Mister Solomons in the morning and let him know, so that he could begin the process of selling the shares the estate owned, as well as going over all of the paperwork that she would have to sign regarding her commitments under the proposal. She just hoped that her desire to solve this riddle wasn’t the biggest mistake she’d ever made.

As for Bruce, he was feeling pleased for a couple of reasons. First, there was the pure business standpoint. He knew that Wayne Enterprises would be able to easily double its money on the purchase of Palmer Technologies and that wasn’t taking into account the potential he saw in both Felicity and Curtis Holt. If he could make sure that they stayed with their new employer, the sky truly was the limit for his company. The other reason, that was more personal. He’d learned to be very good at reading people and after reading the information Barbara had gathered, then meeting the blonde genius, Bruce felt that he had a good idea about what made her tick. Plus, there was also her night job. He silently made a bet with himself, that she would figure out he was Batman before he decided to tell her.

When the time came, he knew that he would have to be ready. They’d have to train her, not simply on the systems in the Batcave, but also in fighting. Because the people on his team, they were his family and he had made a vow that he wasn’t going to lose any more family if he could prevent it. As he thought that, he involuntarily looked at Barbara and just barely suppressed a sigh. Even training hadn’t been enough to save her and for a brief moment he wondered if it wouldn’t be better to keep Felicity as far away from his dark secret as possible. No, he couldn’t do that, because she had talent that would make her invaluable to the team.

After dinner, they all said their farewells, then Dig and Felicity left. It was only when he heard the sound of the elevator doors closing that Bruce turned to Barbara. He took a moment to loosen his tie before he sat down next to her.

“What do you think?” Bruce asked her.

“I think she’ll figure it out before you want her to. She’s a genius, Bruce, with the degrees and IQ points to prove it. Plus, there’s the secrecy around her job in Gotham, if she take it. I’d recommend keeping an eye on her from the moment she reaches Gotham,” Barbara told him.

“You think there’s a threat?”

“And so should you. The moment the sale goes through, people are going to start digging. Who is the beneficiary of Raymond Palmer’s estate? When they find out its her, the tide that is going to wash over her, it’ll be bad. And as good as Mister Diggle seems, he’s only one man and we’re assuming that he would come to Gotham with her. What if he doesn’t? Then she’s a billionaire all alone in a town filled with people who would kidnap her for the fun of it, never mind the money or the glory.”

“Then we will have to make sure that she is protected,” Bruce said quietly.

“And we’ll have to do it quietly,” Barbara told him. “I can talk to Dick if you want?”

“Not just yet.”

Barbara heard the words and the message underneath them, sighing. As much as she wanted to say something more, she didn’t. She knew that the way to get Bruce to do what you wanted was to show him the logic of following your path. So, she would need to make a plan and present it to him, rather than speak now and get him to dig his heels in.

“Of course. Good night, Bruce.”

“Good night, Barbara,” Bruce said as he watched her wheel to the door and go out. He got up from his seat and headed to his own room. He planned to take advantage of a rare night of rest.

January 12, 2016

Central City

Laurel woke up to find herself in her own bed. She didn’t remember going upstairs yesterday, nor did she remember changing into a pair of sleep pants and an over-sized T-shirt. Obviously she had, as she took in the shirt, which has a grinning white cat on the front of it and a caption of “I’m Puurfect”. When she’d seen it, she just thought it was too funny and had to buy it. Even now, it got a chuckle out of her.

Getting out of bed, she stuffed her feet in a pair of tennis shoes before making her way downstairs. A part of her was glad she wasn’t starting her new job until next week, rather than today. Not only would it give her a chance to take care of a few more things, but it would also give what Cisco had told her more of a chance to settle.

“Morning, darling,” Dinah Lance said from the kitchen. “I’m fixing eggs and bacon if you’d like some.”

“That sounds fine, Mom,” Laurel told her.

“So that young man you were with yesterday seemed nice. He helped me get you upstairs to your room before he left.”

“Cisco’s very nice.”

“So, how’d you meet him?” Dinah asked.

“He’s a friend of a friend and he lives here in Central City, so we went out to lunch last week. As we talked, we found that we enjoyed each other’s company, so we started dating,” Laurel told her.

Dinah placed a plate with scrambled eggs and four strips of bacon on it in front of her daughter. There was also whole wheat toast and some butter on the table already.

“What would you like to drink?”

“Some juice if you have it.”

Dinah pulled a bottle of orange juice out and placed in on the table along with a glass. Laurel filled it up as she attacked the food in front of her. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she’d smelled the bacon, but it didn’t surprise her. Clearly she’d missed dinner last night, so when she finished what was on her plate, she got up and took a second helping of everything.

“So, yesterday was a date?” Dinah asked.

“Yes, Mom. We met at Jitters for coffee and a snack, then came back here so we could talk some more,” Laurel said. “And no, coming back here to talk isn’t code for something else. Just something we were talking about got a little emotional and I didn’t feel like having a crying fit in Jitters or anywhere in public to be honest.”

“But you’re okay now, right?”

“I was fine yesterday, once I got it all out. And Cisco was amazing, Mom. He just held me and let me know he was there for me, whatever I needed.”

Dinah looked at her daughter, as the last few words had sounded off. Looking at her now, she could see that Laurel was clearly thinking about something, but she couldn’t guess what. So, she just watched and waited, hoping that in time her daughter would tell her whatever it was.

For her part, Laurel was thinking about how not to tell her mother, at least not yet. It was still too fresh in her mind and she wasn’t ready right now to relive it, not with her. She wanted this slice of normal. She did know that she would need to talk to someone about this and eventually she’d need to tell her family, but just the thought of it was enough to give her a sick feeling. What would they say when she told them, what would they think.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Dinah said as she got up from the table, needing to get over to the University for her office hours and classes today.

“Sounds good, Mom. See you,” Laurel said with a smile.

Clearing the table, she decided to do the dishes. She took care of the pans first, then did the plates, glasses and silverware. Once that was done, she wiped down the table before heading upstairs. After a shower, she got dressed in a turquoise blouse and black slacks, then went back downstairs with her tablet. If Felicity could have seen it, she probably would have laughed as it only had the software it had come with and a couple of additional applications. One was an E-reader and the other helped her find restaurants that offered delivery. Now, she put the tablet in her purse and left the house, figuring she could enjoy some coffee at Jitters while she went online and looked at rental listings. The nice thing about living with her mother right now was that she wasn’t in any kind of rush to find someplace. Which was good, because she had other things on her plate as well, between the new job, her new abilities and her possibly new boyfriend.

Pulling into the parking lot near the coffee shop, she found a space and parked. Walking to the entrance gave her time to enjoy the nice weather, which was cool but clear. As she pulled open the door, she could smell the fresh brewed coffees in an assortment of different flavors. They were not crowded, so she was able to quickly get a pumpkin spice latte and then find a small table to sit at. Taking out her tablet, she started her search and settled in.

“Hey, Laurel,” Barry said, pulling her away from her search half an hour later. She looked up and saw him standing there along with an older black man. Having been around her father enough, she could instantly tell he was a police officer and most likely a detective. There was just something in the face, a weariness that came from long hours hunting down leads while fueled on coffee and adrenaline.

“Hi, Barry,” Laurel said, standing to give him a little hug before turning her attention to Joe West. “Hi, I’m Laurel Lance.”

“Nice to meet you, Laurel. Detective Joe West, CCPD,” Joe said, holding out his hand. “You’re a friend of Barry’s?”

“We have some mutual friends and when I moved here from Starling City, we reconnected.”

“Starling City, eh? You wouldn’t happen to know a Quentin Lance, would you?”

“He’s my father,” Laurel said.

“He’s a good man,” Joe said.

“Thank you.”

“Barry, I’ll meet you in the car.”

“Thanks, Joe. I’ll be right out,” Barry said.

Joe took one last look at Laurel, like he was weighing something in his mind. Whatever it was either passed or he suppressed it, because he just turned and walked away. Barry and Laurel watched him leave before looking at each other.

“So, that’s your foster father?” Laurel asked, remembering something Cisco had said to her about Joe being the man that had taken Barry in after his father went to prison for his mother’s murder.

“Yeah, that’s Joe.”

“Well, you shouldn’t keep him waiting. I’ll see you tonight?”

“You will,” Barry said. “Be interesting to see what new tests and training Cisco and Caitlin have come up with for you.”

Laurel gave him a dirty look at that, which only served to make the speedster laugh as he walked out the door. Even if she knew she needed the training, it didn’t mean that he enjoyed it. She also knew that she would need to figure out a way to get additional, more physical training. She knew that relying only on her new abilities would be a mistake, especially if someone found a way to block or cancel out them. She wondered if there was a gym here, or perhaps a dojo, that she could train at. Taking up her tablet once again, she opened a new browser window and started searching.

At that same time that Laurel was typing in her search and running it, al Qarasina was watching every move she made. The hacker had taken the time while monitoring the former Team Arrow to access those devices that she could. Laurel’s tablet and Diggle’s phone had been easy compared to Felicity’s devices. For those, she had only intermittent access and even then, it had required some serious effort to get anything usable from them.

For now, she started writing her report. Al Qarasina suspected that Ta-er al-Sahfer was keeping a discreet eye on her sister and using her to do it. What she didn’t know was that the order actually came from Nyssa. The Bride of the Demon wanted to make sure that her Beloved’s sister and her friend was doing well and also to know if she remembered what had happened to her on Lian Yu. If she did remember, Nyssa intended to make sure that she did not have to deal with it alone.

Once Laurel had finished her searches and gone offline, al Qarasina finished up her report and sent it to Nanda Parbat. She then stood and stretched, then grabbed her iPod and headed for the basement. She had a small gym set up down there, complete with a speed bag and a heavy bag for her to practice her punches and kicks on as well as a collection of weights. Pulling up her playlist, she started the music and put her earbuds in. Letting the music take her, she started on her workout, dancing to the music as she threw jabs and combinations. By the time she was done, she had worked up a good sweat and was feeling good. She figured a quick shower and she could get back to her other League missions.

January 12, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Nyssa smiled at the League member who brought her the message from Starling City, nodding her thanks as she took the envelope and opened it. Turning, she walked out of the communication center as she read al Qarasina’s report. Nothing was really surprising in it, but she had not been expecting there to be. It made sense that Laurel was looking for someplace to train, especially if she was considering going out with the Flash as the Black Canary. Given that the Shadow watching her had reported that she had met Barry Allen, Nyssa believed it was only a matter of time before her friend decided to help out her new home.

Once she reached the main corridor, she turned and walked towards Oliver’s office. Getting there, she was surprised to find it empty. Thinking for a moment, she turned and made her way to their private training rooms. As she got closer, she knew she had made the right decision. She could hear the sound of wood on wood coming from the smaller of the rooms. Going to it, she found her husband and Cheshire fighting with Escrima sticks. Taking a seat by the doorway, she settled in to watch them.

Oliver was shirtless and wearing a pair of loose pants, while Cheshire was in a neon orange sports bra and black yoga pants. Nyssa had seen him topless before, but this was the first time that her gaze was something more than clinical or dispassionate. Now, there was something else that the site stirred within her, a flicker of desire. Because, now she was finally willing to admit to herself that she was coming to love this man, something she had never expected to happen. Sure, she had developed feelings for him before now, but she had always tried to deny them before now. It was the fact that he had given her time and space, leaving the decision entirely in her hands and not once pressuring her, that had caused her to understand what her heart had been telling her.

Nyssa came out of her thoughts as the sounds of the Escrima sticks died down. Looking, she saw that Oliver had Cheshire on the ground, one stick held against her throat and the other raised high to strike. Cheshire tapped the ground next to her, at which point he released her and helped her to stand. Cheshire took his sticks and carried the weapons to the rack, then tossed him his shirt and tunic. Oliver quickly put them on, once more taking on the image of Ra’s al Ghul.

“Husband,” Nyssa said as she stood up and approached him. “Cheshire.”

“Nyssa,” Oliver said, as Cheshire nodded her head at her.

“Might we talk, in private?”

“Of course.”

Nyssa turned and lead the way out of the training room. Oliver followed behind her, expecting her to go to his office. Instead, she went to their rooms and held the door open. Once he was through, she closed it and turned the key in the lock. He watched, curious as to what she wanted to talk about. It was only when she was right in front of him that he fully took her in, seeing a look in her eyes he had not seen before or at least not directed at him. Not knowing what to expect, he was a little unprepared when she pressed her lips to his, which lead to his being a little passive initially. The kiss was soft, gentle, with a hint of passion behind it, teasing at the possibility of something more.

“I love you, Husband,” Nyssa said softly, meeting his eyes.

“May I say how happy that makes me, my wife,” Oliver told her equally softly before pressing another kiss to her lips.

Nyssa and Oliver each surrendered themselves to the passion that was building between themselves, as each successive kiss became a little more heated. Each found their hands softly exploring the other over their clothes. When even that was no longer enough, Oliver pulled back from the kiss, drawing a moan from his wife. Looking in her eyes, he could see passion and desire warring with uncertainty.

“Do you trust me, Nyssa?”

“With my very life.”

“Then, trust me now. We go at your pace and if it is too much, if you wish to stop for any reason at any point, all you have to say is ‘Stop’ and I will,” Oliver told her, holding her eyes with his, letting her see the honesty within them.

“I’ve just never…I’m not sure what to do,” Nyssa said, displaying a degree of vulnerability that made him love her all the more.

“I know, my love. And while you have never been with a man, I have never been with you. So, we will both be learning what pleases the other. Now, may I undress you?”

Nyssa could only nod at the almost reverent tone his voice had taken. And it was almost too slowly for her liking, as he removed her outer layer first. Then, he lifted her top up, while pressing kisses along her stomach and sternum and breathing in her scent, an aroma that was pure Nyssa. When all the remained was her bra up top, he had her sit so that he could kneel before her and remove her boots and socks. Next, he unfastened her pants and had her lift her hips so that he could remove them as well.

Nyssa looked in her husband’s eyes as he knelt before her. The passion she saw there made her heart sing. But, it was when he finally stood and began removing his own clothing that she experienced something she never had with any man before. Once he was naked, Oliver took her in his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently in the center before joining her. What followed over the next several hours was the couple building a map of each others body, with multiple detours being taken when they found specific spots that produced very positive reactions.

What they didn’t know was that there was now a guard on their rooms, formed of Sara and Talibah. They were under orders from Cheshire that Ra’s and his Bride were not to be disturbed. If anything required the attention of Ra’s, it was to be directed to his Heir. This had happened because Cheshire had told Sara about Nyssa wishing to speak with her husband in private. Sara had made a guess, once that she was happy to find out was correct when she got to Ra’s chambers and heard what were the unmistakable sounds of her Beloved moaning in passion. She’s quickly apprised the others of her suspicions and they agreed to give them some needed time together.

As she stood there, Sara couldn’t completely stop the smile that came to her face. She was happy for them both, even if she did wonder how this would change her relationship with them. If past history with Ollie was anything to go on, then their would hardly change at all. Nyssa, Sara suspected, would need some talking with, as even though she had previously been told that Sara wanted this for her, if it was what Nyssa desired, she would likely need to hear it a few more times. Or, perhaps, Sara might have to talk with them about joining them, though that would have to be a conversation for the future. For now, she would allow them time for their love to grow.


	36. You Say You Want A Revolution

January 13, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Oliver woke up to a feeling of warmth, as well as the sensation of something holding him down. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of his wife snuggled up to him, her head lying on his chest. Taking a moment, he just looked at her. It didn’t surprise him when he saw her eyes open, nor did the wariness that was momentarily there until she realized who it was that she was in bed with. Moving slightly, he tipped his head down so that he could press a kiss to the top of hers.

“Good morning, my love,” Oliver said softly.

“To you as well, my husband,” Nyssa replied before pressing a kiss to his chest.

“Is it wrong of me that I don’t want to get up today?”

“If it is, then I am wrong as well. But we have duties to attend to.”

“I know,” Oliver said with a soft sigh before capturing her lips for a kiss, then sliding out from underneath her. “I’ll use the bathroom first, while you see about breakfast. Unless you want to eat with the others.”

“I think just us would be very nice,” Nyssa told him as she got out of bed and put on a robe before heading to the door.

Unlocking and opening the door, she was not surprised to see Sara standing there. The pair looked at each other, then Sara got a smirk on her face. Nyssa well knew if was for how she looked. She didn’t need a mirror to tell her that her hair was a mess and that she likely had love bits on her neck and breast. She’d seen her marks on her husband’s back and chest too.

“I won’t ask if you had a good time,” Sara said with a laugh. “The evidence kinda speaks for itself.”

Nyssa’s soft smile was all the answer Sara would have needed anyway. She loved that smile, which had been directed at her many a time. To see it now and to know that someone else was the cause of it hurt a little, but only just a little. After all, she loved the person responsible for the smile as well and she had actively encouraged Nyssa and Oliver’s feelings for one another, hoping that this would be the result.

“Would you ask that breakfast be brought to us?”

Sara looked at Talibah, preparing to send her until she caught the look in Nyssa’s eyes. Nodding, she walked off. Talibah also caught the underlying message, that Nyssa wished to speak with her.

“How long were you here?” Nyssa asked.

“All night. It was the order of Warith al Ghul and Ta-er al-Sahfer, Nyssa,” Talibah told her. “They wished to insure that you and your husband were not disturbed.”

“And were there any who wished to disturb us?”

“A few. Sarie and al-Tirsana came by to see Ra’s and said that they would speak with him in the morning. A couple of messengers came, but we directed them to Warith al Ghul. And a pair of Horsemen came. They seemed to be surprised when told that Ra’s was not to be disturbed and insisted that this did not apply to his Horsemen.”

“What happened then?” Nyssa asked.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer sent me to get Warith al Ghul. The pair tried to push past Ta-er al-Sahfer, telling her to get out of their way, that they had urgent business with Ra’s. We were fortunate in that Warith al Ghul came at that moment. She took them to Ra’s office, so I can not say what happened afterwards, but they have not been back here since then,” Talibah told her.

Nyssa wondered about that, because it just didn’t feel right to her. Why would they have been so insistent upon speaking with her husband? If they were Horsemen, then they knew well enough that the Heir was in command whenever Ra’s himself was not available. So, they should have gone to see Cheshire when they were told Ra’s was not to be disturbed.

“Who were they, Talibah?”

“Rafit and Shafiq, Nyssa.”

Nyssa wasn’t surprised to hear the names Talibah said. They were two of the oldest horsemen, contemporaries of al-Owal. When she was a child, she had once heard her father mention Shafiq as a possible successor, before his eye fell on Bruce Wayne. After Bruce had managed to escape his grasp, her father had not gone back to the man as a possible heir but instead, began to look elsewhere. While the man had remained outwardly loyal, she had sensed a simmering discontent just under the surface. She also knew that Shafiq held the same misogynistic mindset that her father had and wondered if that might have been why he’d refused to speak with Cheshire, instead pushing to see Ra’s.

The smell of hot food caught Nyssa’s attention, drawing her to where Sara was walking down the hall trailed by two League members carrying trays. Going back inside their room, she found Oliver waiting at the table, dressed for the day. Grabbing fresh clothes, Nyssa went into the bathroom and quickly showered. A few minutes later and she was sitting down at the table, dressed in dark slacks and an emerald green top.

“What are you plans for the day, Nyssa?” Oliver asked.

“Training with Helena, as well as overseeing the testing of Sarie and al-Tirsana,” Nyssa told him.

“And you believe that they are both ready?”

“I would not propose testing them if I did not.”

“And who will you have do the testing?” Oliver said.

“I will not tell you that, nor will I tell you where the testing will be taking place,” Nyssa said. “I will send someone to get you once the testing is concluded. Now, let’s eat our breakfast, then you need to get to your office and talk with Cheshire.”

“Yes, Dear.”

Nyssa heard his tone and couldn’t help flashing him a little grin. It was met by a soft smile from her husband, one that told her how much he loved her. She took her free hand and captured Oliver’s, running her thumb over the back of it. They finished their meal like that, just enjoying these moments together. When they were done, Oliver went and put on the last items that marked him as Ra’s, the rings and pendant. He had decided on the day he’d arrived back in Nanda Parbat after killing Nyssa’s father that there would be at least one place within the fortress where he could be just al Sah-him or even Oliver. Only Nyssa was fully aware of this separation, because when he did leaves these four walls, he had to be Ra’s, had to command respect, inspire awe and even terror, and he couldn’t do that and be Oliver, who had his doubts, his questions about the rightness of what he was doing. That, he could only share with Nyssa, could only trust to her.

Once he was ready, he opened the door and walked out with Nyssa. Sara and Talibah were standing there, watching everything without watching anything specific. In fact, if he hadn’t been looking for it, he might have even missed the smirk on Sara’s face. A part of him felt bad for Nyssa, knowing that Sara would be questioning her at some point today. But then, he just laughed to himself, because he knew that if anyone could handle Sara, it would be Nyssa.

Turning away, Oliver walked off to his office. He was not surprised to find Cheshire already there, but the two men that were standing in front of his desk were definitely not expected and he was slightly troubled to see them here. Rafit and Shafiq were two of his horsemen, but he had not been particularly impressed with either of them. Their views more closely matched those held by Nyssa’s father than his own, yet they had taken pains to remain respectful while disagreeing with him. So, he remained silent as he moved behind his desk and took his seat. He took his time, looking over the papers that were awaiting his attention, writing quick notes when something caught his attention. Only when he was ready did he look at the pair of horsemen, motioning for them to begin.

“My lord, we come to you in regards to an urgent matter,” Rafit said. “We tried to speak with you earlier, but Ta-er al-Sahfer said that you were not to be disturbed.”

“If the matter was truly urgent, why did you not speak with Warith al Ghul. She is in command of the League if I am not available,” Oliver said softly.

“Because it involves her. She and her sister are plotting to have your sister killed.”

“I find that very hard to believe, Rafit. I assume you have some proof of these wild accusations?”

“Her sister is to supervise Sarie’s initial testing soon. She will make sure that your sister fails the test, regardless of how she truly performs. The penalty for failure is death, as you know, unless you were to personally interfere by releasing your sister,” Rafit explained.

“A neatly thought out plot,” Oliver said as he stood up. “I assume that the idea is to discredit me if I release my sister by saying that I still cling to my former life too much. And if I were to sanction Sarie’s death if she failed, she would do what? Or would she do nothing, hoping that I would be so lost in my grief as to allow her to command the League?”

“Yes, Cheshire, what would you do?” Shafiq asked, an evil grin on his face as he looked at the woman he thought they had cornered. Yet, he noticed that Ra’s didn’t turn to look at his Heir. Instead, his gaze was fixed forward, but not on himself or Rafit either. Then, he realized that there was someone in the doorway, the hair standing up on the back of his neck.

“Did you need something, Artemis?”

“Nyssa ordered me to inform you that the testing has begun,” Artemis told him.

“And who is performing the testing?” Oliver asked.

“Nyssa said that if you asked, I am to tell you that she will tell you that only when the tests are concluded, my lord.”

“But you are not one of those performing the testing, correct?”

“No, my lord. Nyssa wanted them tested against someone that they haven’t previously fought against, so that there would be no chance of them anticipating their opponent’s moves,” Artemis told him.

“I see,” Oliver said, as he fixed Rafit and Shafiq with an icy glare. “Well, then, there is nothing to worry about, is there?”

“Only because Nyssa unknowingly thwarted their plans,” Rafit argued. “This proves nothing. They will simply wait for another chance to undermine you, so that she might seize control of the League.”

“Or perhaps you are trying to create the chance for you or Shafiq to remove me? Perhaps you still do not approve of me as Ra’s, even though I was chosen by my predecessor as his Heir.”

“That may be, my Lord,” Shafiq said calmly. “However, you failed to complete the final task before your ascension, namely the razing of your former home, so as to have a complete break from your former life. This calls into question your claim to being Ra’s al Ghul.”

“If you truly believed this, why did you both say nothing when I became Ra’s. You were part of the council that confirmed that I became Ra’s when I defeated my predecessor in single combat. In fact, Shafiq, you claimed that this constituted trial by combat and that I was in fact Ra’s without having razed Starling City. Now, you say that is not so. Thus, I believe there is only one acceptable way to decide this,” Oliver stated.

“Indeed,” Rafit said, a mocking smile gracing his face. “Trial by combat and with your death, we shall purge the League of the corruption you have allowed to take root. Starting with your sister and her beloved, followed by Cheshire and the rest of the weaklings you’ve placed in positions of authority.”

“You know the location. Be there tomorrow at dawn.”

With that said, the three men stared at one another for a couple of minutes. Then, with a laugh, Rafit and Shafiq turned and walked from the office. Both of them felt certain that they had Oliver right where they wanted him. They had decades of experience on the boy, decades spent being molded by the most dangerous man on earth, time spent mastering virtually every weapon conceivable. Against that, their opponent had less than a decade of training and only a year of that by the League. And while he had shown himself to be a quick study, pushing himself to be better at everything he was taught, he wasn’t at their level. As well, they had a plan just in case he managed to defeat one of them. They had both asked for trial by combat, so the other would be within his right to exercise that right as soon as the first trial was over, granting them an already weakened opponent.

As for Oliver, he was also thinking. Because he could feel the trap that had been laid, the only question was whether he had already sprung it or if he could still avoid it. He was also considering how deep this went. Was it just these two or were there others silently standing in the wing, ready to support them if they succeeded or talk action if they failed. But then, he thought back over the last roughly eight months since he’d become Ra’s. He’d been cautious, not making any major changes, not making any waves. And while he wasn’t as ruthless as Nyssa’s father had been, he had still displayed his commitment to the ideals of the League, to replacing evil with death. He had just elected to be more surgical about it.

The only thing he could think of was his decision to name Cheshire as his heir. Nyssa’s father had been misogynistic to a fault, so it wasn’t difficult to believe that those closest to him, his horsemen, held similar ideas. Perhaps he had been blinded by the fact that Nyssa had been heir, not understanding that the title had likely been symbolic at best and that she’d never have ascended to Ra’s just because she was his heir. That these two or others like them would have been waiting to strike her down. And yet, he knew that he couldn’t backtrack on his decision, that to show that level of weakness would only make matters worse. Not that it mattered now, as the question of his heir was moot if he failed to be victorious in the coming trials.

Walking out of his office, Oliver was trailed by Cheshire and Artemis. He needed to find Nyssa and talk this over with her, as well as Cheshire. He knew that he could not go into this hoping that he would be victorious and that that would protect those closest to him. Yet, they also couldn’t just flee the League in the event of his defeat. What had happened with Sara showed what came with choosing such a path. He considered and then rejected the idea of releasing them, knowing that there were a variety of reasons that wouldn’t work.

Turning into the training room he and Nyssa normally used, he found her and Helena sparring. Oliver could see the improvement in the former Mafia princess and that Nyssa was having to make more of an effort to counter her attacks. He remained by the entrance, not wanting to disturb the training. Besides, he was enjoying watching his wife, the fluidity of her movements, the play of the muscles in her arms and shoulders, the happiness he saw in her face. When there was finally a break, Oliver stepped forward.

“Husband, what brings you here?” Nyssa asked.

“I needed to speak with you,” Oliver told her, his tone sober.

“Helena, go and take a break. Be back here in half an hour.”

“Yes, Nyssa,” Helena said as she left the room.

“What troubles you, Husband?” Nyssa asked.

“Rafit and Shafiq have both challenged me to trial by combat for command of the League. They tried to discredit Cheshire, saying that she and Artemis were plotting against me, by making sure that Sarie failed her tests and forcing me to chose between submitting her to the require punishment or releasing her and going against League law.”

“I am disappointed but not entirely surprised. I knew that they shared my father’s views on many things, which is why they were among his horsemen. I would have expected them to be more subtle than this, however.”

“Regardless, they requested trial by combat when I saw through their scheme. It will take place tomorrow morning. And while I expect to win, I need to put precautions in place in case I fail. Because both of them were rather blunt about the fate of those I care about if one of them should triumph,” Oliver told her.

“It does not surprise me,” Nyssa said. “They never liked Ta-er al-Sahfer or my relationship with her, so they would relish a chance to remove her. Your sister and her beloved would simply be an extension of you, as well as a potential future threat, as would I be as your wife. Cheshire and Artemis would be eliminated because they are too close to you, as well as being female.”

“And how do I protect them?”

“There is only one way, by winning. If you released us and then won, it would look bad if you allowed us back into the League. There is an expectation that our commitment to the League is for life, not just when it is safe or convenient.”

“Any suggestions?” Oliver asked.

“Whoever you face first, try to end the fight quickly. The longer it takes, the more chance you’ll get hurt, grow tired, be weaker in the second fight. Also, control your emotions. Rafit in particular will try to play on them, try to get you to make a mistake while angered or frustrated. You’ll need to stay focused, regardless of what he might say,” Nyssa told him.

“My apologies, my lord,” al-Jabal said from the doorway to the room, bowing. “The trials have been completed.”

“Bring them both here, please,” Oliver said in response, his hands clasped behind himself. This kept al-Jabal from seeing thumb brushing over his fingers, something Nyssa did see. She was well aware of this nervous tick of her husband’s and that he did this as a means of centering himself. Stepping up beside him, she took her hand and lightly laid it on his lower back, just moving her fingers slowly back and forth, up and down.

“They will have passed, my Husband. I would not have tested them if I felt that they could fail.”

“I know, my Love. Still, I will not apologize for being a little nervous.”

Before Nyssa could say anything to try and further calm him, she saw al-Jabal coming back into the room. Behind him were Thea, Roy, Talibah and Navid. Al-Jabal had been assigned by Navid to test Thea, while Talibah had been testing Roy. There was nothing on their faces that suggested how the trials had gone, though if the nervous looks on Thea and Roy’s were anything to go on, they either hadn’t been told the answer or worse, had been told that they had failed. Oliver pushed that thought from his mind, as he felt his anxiousness rising.

Once he was in front of Oliver and Nyssa, al-Jabal knelt. As he did so, so did the others. Oliver took a moment and forced everything out of his mind and heart except for his duty as Ra’s. How the next few minutes went could have a big impact on his future. Only when he was ready did he proceed.

“Rise, al-Jabal, and make you report,” Oliver ordered, his voice colder than it had been when he was speaking with Nyssa a few minutes before.

“My Lord. The initial trials of Sarie and al-Tirsana have been completed. Both have been judged by myself as well as their tester to have passed,” al-Jabal told him. “Both are most proficient with the bow and have highly developed senses of awareness for new recruits. I look forward to helping both of them develop that further. Sarie has some skill with a sword, while al-Tirsana still needs further work on edged weapons. I believe that they should both have further training with swords, knives and the like, as well as hand-to-hand combat, which they will get in the next stage of their training.”

“Very well. I will make sure that Artemis and Cheshire know this, as well as having them train with you on their stealth and awareness.”

“As you command, my Lord.”

“You, Talibah and Navid may return to your other duties with my thanks,” Oliver said. “We’ll make sure that Sarie and al-Tirsana have some lunch before returning to their training.”

With that, Navid and Talibah rose and followed al-Jabal from the room. Thea and Roy remained kneeling, waiting until they were told to rise before doing so. Oliver left them there for a couple of moments, watching them and assessing. He knew without seeing her that Nyssa was doing the same, as they both knew that the mental side was ultimately more important than the physical, especially with what they did as assassins. You had to be able to work not only as an individual, but also as part of a team where you obeyed orders. He knew Roy could do it, because he’d worked with him in the field. It was Thea he was more concerned about in that respect, which was why he was watching and waiting. Yet, he saw that she was perfectly still, drawing a smile to his face.

“Rise, Sarie and al-Tirsana.”

“Yes, my Lord,” the both said almost perfectly in unison.

“I’m happy that you both have passed your initial trials,” Oliver told them, before walking to the doorway. Nyssa, Roy and Thea followed him. He figured that they could have lunch in his and Nyssa’s room, so that they could relax a little away from the eyes that felt like they were constantly on them. He also was debating telling them about tomorrow and what might happen. A part of him knew that it would be best if he did, so that they could be prepared. But he didn’t want them to worry about something they had no control over and he knew that they would, especially Thea. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy a little time being Oliver again with his sister.

January 14, 2016

The Mountain Top

Oliver stood at the edge of the mountain, looking down. He remembered this place, his fight against Nyssa’s father. How he’d failed in that fight, not merely because of a difference in skill, but more importantly a difference in will. Because as he looked back on it now, he wasn’t fighting to save his own life, he was fighting to save his sister’s. And he had believed that Ra’s would accept his death as justice being served and not look any further into Sara’s death. So, when he had faced him, Oliver hadn’t fully committed to doing what was necessary to insure his own survival. He had hesitated at a critical moment, not wanting to deliver the killing blow. Ra’s, on the other hand, had shown no such hesitation.

A hand on his back brought him from his thoughts. Oliver didn’t need to look to know that it was Nyssa for two reasons. Only she, Navid and Talibah had accompanied him here and the others would not even think of touching him in such a manner. So, he relaxed into her touch and turned to face her.

“Do not think about the past, Husband,” Nyssa said softly. “Only the present matters and you must focus solely on that.”

“I know, my Love,” Oliver told her. “But the memories of that day are still too fresh for me to completely forget them.”

“Then, today you will need to make new memories. Memories where you leave this mountain victorious.”

“Well, you, Cheshire and al-Jabal made sure I am as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Nyssa chuckled lightly at that, knowing how true that statement was. The three of them had spent every minute from after lunch until nightfall working with Oliver on his swordsmanship. They had taken the time to try and anger him, tried to get inside his head and lose focus. But he had weathered that storm and that’s why he felt prepared for almost anything that either Rafit and Shafiq could throw at him.

A sound came from behind them, causing them to turn and face the clearing. On the far side, they could see Rafit and Shafiq coming into view, both dressed in full League armor. Oliver had been a little surprised when he and his group had arrived not to find the pair already there waiting, but upon reflection this made some sense. If they arrived last, then they were the ones who controlled things. They could make him away, cause him to get restless, have time for any doubts or hesitation to come to the forefront of his mind. In other words, this was just another form of psychological warfare being practiced by his enemies.

Oliver knew the process from the last time he was on this mountain, so he began to remove his tunic and then the shirt underneath. Standing there in his trousers, his scars and tattoos were on full display. Only Nyssa had seen them before and he enjoyed the faint look of trepidation that came to the pair of men oppose when they saw the signs of hardship that had been carved into his body. Then, as quickly as it came, the look passed and an almost cocky arrogance replaced it.

“I see you have brought one of your whores with you to witness your death,” Rafit said. “And the so-called Bride at that. She can join you at the bottom of the cliff once we’ve ended your existence.”

Oliver said nothing as he went over to the weapons case and selected a pair of swords. They were the same type that he’d used against Nyssa’s father and he had chosen them for this fight because they were easier to wield one handed than a katana or similar sword. Also, the blades had more weight behind them and if Rafit and Shafiq were to use these blade and he had a katana, there was a chance that they could break his blade with one of their strikes if he was unlucky.

Turning from the case, Oliver performed a set of test slashes with the swords, satisfying himself that all was ready. Looking across, he saw that Rafit had decided to be his first opponent. A small part of him had wondered how they were going to decide who would be first and how that had played out. Because going first had its risks and rewards. The biggest risk was that whoever went first would be facing Oliver at his best, before he had been worn down, possibly even injured. But the reward was if you could kill him, then you became the Demon’s Head all while your ally had been forced to watch. And with they way they seemed to feel about him, Oliver didn’t doubt that both believed that they would be able to beat him.

Stepping forward, he remained silent. He cleared his mind of all thoughts, all doubts, everything but what was necessary for him to be the one who would walk off this mountain top today. There would be no mercy, no hesitation. This would be a fight to the death and he wasn’t going to die today. Standing there, he allowed Rafit the first strike, as well as the second. Both were easily blocked, as were the next ones. Oliver could tell his tactic was surprising his opponent.

“Fight me, you coward,” Rafit called. “Is there a man in there or are you truly a woman hiding in the skin of a man?”

Still Oliver remained silent, watching and waiting for his opening. Eventually, it came and when it did, he struck with a strength and fury that momentarily stunned Rafit. He kept his swords high, aiming for the chest, arms and neck. His cuts were quick, forcing Rafit backwards while keeping his attention and focus up. So, when Oliver pivoted through a stroke that would have taken his head if he didn’t duck, Rafit didn’t see the kick that immediately accompanied the attack. This was aimed lower and caught its intended target, Rafit’s right knee. The sound of the contact was followed by a cry of agony as the knee gave way. Off-balance with only one good leg, the man was easy prey for Oliver. He did manage to block a couple of strikes, but in doing so, left himself open for the other sword to pierce his skin.

Oliver wasn’t going to prolong the fight any further, so he jabbed both swords forward. One pierced Rafit in the heart, the other in his side. As soon as he saw the light begin to fade from his opponent’s eyes, Oliver dropped to his knees.

“Forgive and have mercy on him. Protect him from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the Fire,” Oliver said, looking directly at Shafiq as he said the words, wanting the man to understand that he did honor the customs of the League, at least the ones that weren’t born out of prejudice.

When the prayer was finished, Oliver stood. He kept his eyes locked on Shafiq as he stepped around Rafit’s corpse, the bloodstained swords in his hands. He was going to give him a last chance to back down, but the opportunity never came as the other man stepped forward to face him. He had to give the man credit, especially after watching Ra’s so completely defeat his ally.

Shafiq didn’t pause as he was coming forward, going immediately for a strike which Oliver dodged. On the next strike, their blades came together with a crash. The impact was jarring, stunning Oliver for a moment, which Shafiq tried to capitalize on by pushing his sword forward in the hope of slicing open his enemy’s forearm. Oliver recovered just soon enough to envelope the blade, turning it away before it did serious damage. However, it did catch the outside of his upper arm slightly, just enough to draw blood.

Shafiq smiled at that, as he began to increase the power and force of his attacks. But, Oliver weathered them, staying on the defensive for the time being while he allowed his foe to tire himself out. After all, he had experience fighting against stronger opponents in Diggle, Slade before the Mirakuru. That was how he knew that he needed to remain on the defensive until the right moment. And there it was, the slight opening of the mouth, the first signs of fatigue. He didn’t wait, he attacked immediately with a lightning fast series of cuts, forcing Shafiq to move where he wanted him. Before the man knew it, he was backed up to the edge of the mountain top, the drop behind him and the waiting swords of Ra’s al Ghul before him. Either option was death, one slightly more merciful than the other, but which that was was in the eye of the beholder. Shafiq seemed to gather himself and possibly say a silent prayer before moving forward attacking with everything he had.

Oliver dropped beneath the oncoming swords, rolling and striking out at the same time. His blade caught the other man’s hamstring, the following strike cut clean through his lower back. Standing and turning, he found him on his knees. Oliver repeated the prayer as he struck his final blow, a strike the decapitated the kneeling man. He then went over to Rafit’s corpse and removed his head as well. He handed the heads to Nyssa to be placed in a box. They would take those back to Nanda Parbat as an object lesson in the fate that awaited those, even horsemen, who challenged the will of Ra’s al Ghul. He then kicked the corpses off the mountain top, much as he had been by Nyssa’s father. Only these men would not experience the resurrection that he had.

“It is done,” Oliver said, looking at those assembled. “Let us return to Nanda Parbat.”

Nyssa, Navid and Talibah all bowed, then turned to the task of packing up what they had brought with them. Then, the foursome made their way off the mountain top and began the journey home.


	37. Back In Black

January 14, 2016

Starling City

Felicity sat in the boardroom of Palmer Technologies waiting for the meeting to get started. Mister Solomons was there, as were Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon and the entire board of directors. In addition, the heads of all the major departments were there, as had been requested by Bruce. She guessed that this was so that he could address them as well once the sale was completed. Personally, she thought that this was a bit of theater on his part, as he already owned the majority of the company. All that was happening here was him acquiring the remainder of the outstanding shares.

Mister Solomons continued reading through the documents very carefully, making sure that nothing had changed from what had been previously presented. Once he was done, he signed as executor of Ray’s estate, then slid the paper over to Felicity for her signature as well where needed. And it was needed a lot, or at least a lot more than she had expected. Then, she realized that many of the documents were likely tied to the other part of the agreement, namely her employment as Vice President of Wayne Tech. Because she was certain that Bruce and his lawyers would make sure that was locked down before handing over more than two billion dollars in cash and stocks. When she was finally done, she pushed the stack back to Mister Solomons and shook her hand a little. She was more used to using a computer than a pen and her hand was cramped a little.

Mister Solomons went through the stack and split it into two. He then had one of his associates notarize the documents, thereby making them legal and binding. When that was done, one set was handed over to Bruce, while the other was kept for the files of Mister Solomon. Bruce nodded to Barbara, who had her laptop opened on the table. A few keystrokes later and Mister Solomons’ phone chimed an alert. Taking it out, he saw it was from the bank handling Ray’s estate and they were confirming the deposit of one point eight billion dollars. The arrangements had already been previously established between the pair of financial institutions, so the transfer went through quicker than normal. A follow on message indicated that the brokerage account had completed the transfer of the Wayne Tech stock, as well as that of the Palmer Tech shares.

“Congratulations, Mister Wayne,” Mister Solomons said as he stood and extended his hand, “you are now the sole owner of Palmer Technologies.”

“Thank you,” Bruce said as he stood and shook the extended hand, before turning to Felicity. “I look forward to working with you, Miss Smoak.”

“And I you, Mister Wayne,” was all Felicity could say, as she could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her. She felt vulnerable, exposed and she hated that feeling. She had to fight to keep herself in the here and now, when all she could think about was feeling something similar when she’d been held by Slade and the other man on Lian Yu. She couldn’t let her mind go there, couldn’t let those thoughts and feelings take hold. She needed to project the image of a strong, confident and capable businesswoman.

Bruce could see the tension beginning to form, in the set of her shoulders and the way she clasped her hands. He didn’t know what had been the precise trigger, but he was certain that somehow he was the cause of this. So, he did the only thing he could think of, which was to take the focus away from her and put it squarely on himself. He walked to the front of the room, moving all sets of eyes with him, all except for one. Barbara kept watch on Felicity while keeping her ears open to what her employer had to say.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I requested this meeting so that I could have a chance to meet all of you before it becomes public knowledge that Wayne Enterprises has completed the purchase of Palmer Technologies as of this morning. What this will mean for most of you is that your paychecks will now say Wayne Enterprises,” Bruce said, pausing for the expected soft chuckle from the department heads. “Members of the Wayne Enterprises HR team will be contacting all of you over the next week and discussing your positions in detail, as well as benefits and salary. I will say that I purchased this company not out of any desire to gut it, but because I want the genius that I witnessed with the Power Cell to be part of the Wayne Enterprises family and on behalf of not just myself, but Lucius Fox and the whole of Wayne Enterprises, welcome.”

The whole of the room applauded at that, even if the applause of the board members was a little less than enthusiastic. Felicity figured they saw the writing on the wall for themselves, as Wayne Enterprises was unlikely to need two chief financial officers or two human resource directors. No, unless Bruce or Mister Fox found one of them a better candidate than the person currently working at Wayne Enterprises, the ones from Palmer Technologies would be given a severance package and shown the door once the transition was complete. And thinking back on some of her struggles against the board, she wasn’t exactly unhappy to see them go.

“One last thing before Barbara and I take our leave. Miss Smoak will soon be leaving, so that she can take over as Vice President of Wayne Tech and a member of Wayne Enterprises board. However, since most of Palmer Technologies will be incorporated into Wayne Tech as a subsidiary, she will still be your overall boss, just with someone here running the day to day while she will be in Gotham City providing direction. But, never fear, you will still see her, as I’m sure she’ll want to visit the many parts of the division she’ll be heading.”

With that, Bruce walked over to the door to the boardroom and pulled it open. Barbara was wheeling her way over when he looked at Felicity and motioned with his head toward the door. Felicity held up her hand signaling that he give her a minute, so that she could end the board meeting. Bruce nodded and then followed Barbara out the door, moving towards Felicity’s office to wait. Gerry saw them coming and opened the door for them, then went to get them coffee. He was just coming back when Felicity was reaching her office and she held the door open for him. After handing out the mugs, Gerry quietly slipped from the office, closing the door behind him.

“Was there something more we needed to discuss, Mister Wayne?” Felicity asked, even though she had a good idea of what he likely wanted to talk about.

“A time frame for your move to Gotham, Miss Smoak,” Bruce replied, looking at her.

“I won’t have a clear idea until I know who is replacing me here. Because I will need to make sure that they are up to speed on the various projects that we are working on. Though, if they did have questions, all they would need to do is call me, since I will still be working for the new company. But, I would like to make sure that they are fully prepared. And there’s getting everything packed for the move, as well as finding a company to get it all across country.”

“Miss Smoak, when I said before that Wayne Enterprises would cover the cost of the move, I should have been clearer. We will have people come and handle it all for you, including packing. Except for valuables, which I assume you would want to see to personally. Everything would be loaded onto one of our planes and flown to Gotham, including your car, and then stored until you find a place. In the meantime, we have several furnished apartments in the city that you could stay in if you like. And I can email you the names of a pair of real estate agents we use who would be happy to provide you with listings.”

Felicity let out a soft sigh. She felt like she was being rushed and she didn’t like it. Yet, she’d already agreed to the deal and it was too late to back out now, so she’d have to tread carefully and remember that this was now her boss.

“If I pushed, I could be in Gotham in a week. However, two weeks is the more likely answer depending on how things go,” Felicity told him.

“Good,” Bruce said. “And I am sorry if I’m pushing. It’s just that the board will likely have some questions about me spending over four billion dollars to buy the company and I want to have everything in the works, including you at the next board meeting. Once I go over not only your accomplishments but also those of Palmer Technologies, I think they’ll be quite pleased.”

“And please, take my card,” Barbara said, holding one out. “If you need anything, just call me and I’ll be happy to help. Besides, us ladies need to stick together against Bruce here.”

Felicity couldn’t help but give a little chuckle at that, especially seeing the affronted look that he was giving to the redheaded woman. And she was stuck by the hope that they might become friends. Because she still didn’t know if Dig was going to join her in Gotham or not and if he didn’t, she’d be all alone in that big city. Not that being alone necessarily terrified her, because some of her best times had been her, a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream and her favorite doctor. Say what you will and many had, but David Tennant was the best doctor and Felicity would dare you to prove her wrong.

What none of them saw, because they weren’t looking for it, was the figure in the shadows of the building rooftop across the way. They had a high power telescope trained on the window, observing and listening in to as much of the conversation as they could by reading lips. The person wasn’t gaining a whole lot of information by what they were able to pick up, but just the fact that Bruce Wayne was in Miss Smoak’s office was news enough. They would have to proceed very carefully indeed lest the Batman become involved.

Seeing that the meeting was beginning to break up, the figure put away the telescope and then slung the case of their shoulder. Turning, they began walking to the rooftop access, sticking to the shadows. Just as they reached it, two arrows shot out. Only a quick roll forward got the figure under the path of the projectiles. The roll also took them behind the concrete box containing the access hatch, giving them some cover for the moment. Looking around, they quickly measured the distance to the edge for the roof and formed a daring plan. It was risky, but no more so than staying here and waiting. Not that waiting was an option as the sound of gravel being disturbed was just faintly heard, but clear enough to signal someone was coming. Taking a stance like a runner in the starting blocks, the figure drew in a deep breath and ran.

As the edge approached, two more arrows headed for the figure. In the race between man and projectile, man won and yet also lost. The figure was just launching off the roof when the first arrow struck, sinking into the leg. It was painful, but didn’t stop the leap that had already begun. The second arrow missed, as a pair of assassins ran after the figure. They reached the edge just in time to see the figure soaring away on a zip line to the next structure over. Both assassins took aim and fired, sinking in their own lines to give chase. Before they leaped after the figure, they watched as the figure cut away from their line and fired another back at the building they were on.

One of the assassins saw this and cursed under his breath. They had lost whoever that was, as he was not about to attempt that. His shorter companion just tapped his arm and motioned to the hatch. They needed to get out of here before someone noticed them or the figure they had been chasing. Going to the hatch, they dropped through into the maintenance room at the top of the building. There, they quickly changed out of their black robes into business wear, with the bows and quivers hidden beneath their coats. Salah took a look at al-Qarasina and judged that she was good, while she looked him over and motioned for him to adjust his tie and collar.

Fifty-five floors below them, the figure they had been chasing was walking away after doing something similar. Barely anyone gave the red head a second glance as they walked down the street, a smile on their face despite the pain from their wound. That would need to be taken care of once they got back to their safe house. Then, it would be time to call their benefactor and pass on what had been learned.

January 14, 2016

Central City

Laurel was sitting in Jitters, a cup of coffee and a sandwich on the table in front of her. She was adjusting to her new dietary needs, which meant taking breaks throughout the day to eat something. Because, even though she hadn’t been using her abilities today, her body was still demanding more food to turn into fuel than it had before. A part of her wondered how that was going to work when she was in the courtroom, as she was currently eating snacks about every two hours, things like some trail mix or a small serving of blueberries. She didn’t necessarily want to follow what she thought of as the Barry method, which was to down a stack of large pizzas for dinner, but realized that might be a more practical solution, especially when she started helping his team on the streets.

Speaking of hitting the streets, something was going on at STAR Labs, something that Barry and the others were keeping from her. All of her training sessions with Caitlin had been at the old annex facility. Caitlin and Cisco had both said that it was all because of the space, so that she wouldn’t potentially damage something, but something told her it was more than that. Because, now they had her go straight there, rather than meeting them at STAR Labs and going out there together.

“Hi, Laurel,” Samantha said as she walked up to the table.

“Samantha, hi,” Laurel said looking up, a smile coming to her face. “How are you?”

“I’m doing good. Just stopping in on my lunch break and saw you sitting here.”

“Join me and we can catch up a little.”

“That sounds good,” Samantha said. “Just let me get my order in and I’ll be right back.”

True to her word, Samantha was back in a minute with her drink and the ticket for her meal. Sitting down across from Laurel, she took a drink and sighed. She’d been thinking about a mocha latte all morning. One of the servers came over with her food, a turkey sandwich on wheat and a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

“So, tell me what you’ve been up to since I last saw you,” Laurel said.

“Well, you already know the biggest thing.”

“Your son. William, right?”

“Yeah,” Samantha said, a smile lighting her face. “He’s my world.”

“He’s definitely a handsome young man. How old is he?” Laurel asked.

“He’s nine.”

“So, he’s why you left school?”

“Yes and no. I left for several reasons, but they were all tied into him in different ways. I was twenty years old, pregnant and virtually alone. So, I came back home, not that my parents were thrilled at having an unwed mother in the house. Still, they helped me out while I went back to school and finished my degree,” Samantha said.

“And William’s father?” Laurel asked.

“Never knew. It was a one night stand and I knew, deep inside, that he wasn’t ready to be a father. Heck, I wasn’t ready to be a mother either, something my parents tried to tell me. But the first time I heard his heartbeat, I knew, no matter how hard it might be, that I wanted that baby.”

Laurel couldn’t help smiling at the look on Samantha’s face, the pure joy that was there. A part of her hoped that someday she would get to experience that. There was a time where she had wanted that with Ollie, but that time was well and truly gone. Maybe, if things worked out the way she hoped they would, Cisco would be the one. He was certainly off to a great start, she thought.

“Enough about me. What about you, Laurel?” Samantha asked.

“Well, I finished college, went to law school and then started working for CNRI, a legal aid office. When they closed after the Undertaking, I went to work for the DA’s office.”

“And you and Oliver? Did you get back together when he came home?”

“No, that ship had pretty well sailed when my sister was the one he was cheating on me with. Though we did try once, in what I think was a moment of desperation for both of us. Definitely wasn’t my proudest moment,” Laurel said.

“So, what brought you here to Central City?” Samantha asked.

“Too many memories in Starling City. I just finally decided that I needed to make a fresh start somewhere and I chose here because my mom lives here. Gives me a chance to reconnect with her.”

Samantha looked at her watch and blanched slightly. She was going to have to hurry in order to make it back to work before her lunch break was over. Pulling a pen out of her pocket, she scribbled her number down and held it out to Laurel.

“I’m sorry, Laurel. I’ve got to get back to work, but maybe we could get together someday and talk more.”

“That sounds good. I’ll text you my number, so you don’t have to wait while I write it down,” Laurel said as she stood for a hug.

Laurel sat back down as she watched Samantha walk away from the store. It felt good reconnecting with her college friend, plus it gave her another connection to her new home town besides her mother, her job, Cisco and the rest of Team Flash. That had been part of her problem in Starling City, now that she thought about it. She hadn’t really had anything other that her dad, her job and Oliver and his team after Joanna left and Tommy died. And much of that rested on the fact that after the Gambit went down and then finding out that Sara had been on her with Oliver, she’d buried herself in her classes, then her work, avoiding real connections to keep from getting hurt again. This left her without the deep roots needed to weather the storm of Oliver returning and that magnetic attraction that he seemed to have when it came to her, then Tommy dying trying to save her and Oliver disappearing again, and lastly her fall into the bottle, mirroring her father’s own fall after the Gambit’s sinking and Sara’s death.

A beep on her phone jolted Laurel out of her thoughts before she could go too far down the path of past mistakes and regrets. Looking at the phone, she saw she had a text message from Cisco. He wanted her to come out to the annex because he had something to show her. She typed out a quick response, letting him know that she was on her way. Then, she cleaned up the table and walked out the door. As she walked to her Civic and slipped behind the wheel, she found herself wondering about what Cisco wanted to show her.

When Laurel arrived at the STAR Labs annex, she didn’t find Cisco or Caitlin outside like she usually would. She then checked the support van that was parked by the abandoned runway, but they weren’t there either. Looking around, she noticed that the hanger doors were opened and knew that they usually weren’t. So, she decided to check in there.

“Cisco?” Laurel called out when she entered.

“Back here,” Cisco called back, his voice sounding like it came from the far end of the hanger. Walking that way, Laurel took in everything that she was seeing. There was a wall of large plasma displays mounted so tightly together that they could show one giant image or about fifty smaller ones, she guessed. There were also a pair of support vehicles down there, as well as Caitlin’s car. As she got closer, Cisco and Caitlin stepped out of the one and smiled at seeing her.

“What’s going on, Cisco?”

“This is what’s going on.”

Cisco walked over to an off-white drop cloth, took a corner and gave it a firm yank. Once the cloth had moved, Laurel found her self facing a uniform display case, much like the ones Oliver and Roy had had in the old foundry basement. But what was in it was unlike anything she’d seen before. The uniform was all black, with golden yellow accents in the form of the seams and two broader stripes on the top, as well as three on the bottoms of the legs. Also on the pants were mesh panels on the outside and inside of the thighs. The boots went about halfway up the calves, providing protection for the ankles. If she had to guess, there was steel re-enforcing on the boot tips, as well as the soles. The knees, elbows and shoulders were re-enforced as well and there was a holster on the hip for either a baton, tonfa or a pair of Escrima sticks.

“So, what do you think, pretty bird?” Cisco asked, trying to read her expression.

“I think it is amazing, Cisco,” Laurel said softly, still in awe of the suit.

“Then, how about you try it on?”

Laurel and Cisco quickly removed the costume from the mannequin. Then, she and Caitlin went into the support truck and went through the process of getting Laurel into it. Cisco was nervous, because he hadn’t been able to ask for her measurements before creating the costume, so he’d had to rely on his eye and still frames taken from the STAR Labs security system. He wouldn’t know if he’d gotten it right until they came back out.

Inside the truck, Laurel and Caitlin were marveling at how well he’d done. The pants had been tight, but not too tight, they hugged her like a second skin. The jacket was perfect too. The only problem turned out to be the boots, which were a size too large and felt loose on her feet. Still, they would be OK for the moment and would let her show the full costume off. That included the mask and wig as well. Laurel and Caitlin had laughed at the platinum blonde short locks of the wig, but after it and the mask were on, they could see what Cisco had obviously been thinking. Because it wasn’t Laurel Lance that they saw, it was someone else and that meant it was the perfect disguise for when she hit the streets. The black mask with the same golden yellow accenting it completed the look. Ready, Laurel stepped out of the truck trailed by Caitlin.

“How do I look, Cisco?”

“Damn!” Cisco groaned, unable to believe how hot she looked. “Better than I’d imagined.”

Laurel and Caitlin shared a laugh at the engineer’s reaction.

“Everything fit except for the boots,” Laurel told him. “I need a size smaller.”

“Yeah, I’ll make that happen. Now that we’ve got that done, it’s time for training, which means you’ll get to move around a bit in the costume. Let me know if anything doesn’t feel right, so I can fix it for you.”

The next couple of hours were spent with Laurel working on controlling her Canary Cry, as well as using it as part of an attack. Both Cisco and Caitlin were impressed with how well she was doing at controlling the Cry, being able to focus it better. Because of the nature of sound waves, it would never be a precision weapon, but she could focus it so that it affected a smaller area. And by focusing it, it added to the power of it as well.

By the time training was over, Laurel was hungry. So, the trio decided to stop at Big Belly Burger for an early dinner. It also served to give them some bonding time. Laurel did wonder where Barry was, but figured he might just be busy with work, remembering that only Cisco and Caitlin worked at STAR Labs, while Barry worked for the CCPD.

January 15, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Oliver, Nyssa, Talibah and Navid arrived back in Nanda Parbat tired, cold and wet. A snowstorm had delayed their returning, forcing them to spend several hours on a ledge of the mountain. They had been fortunate to get somewhat sheltered from the wind, but without wood, hadn’t been able to start a fire for warmth. Once the snow had let up, they had finished their descent and then trudged through the deep snow to make their way back. They’d stopped once they were off the mountain, briefly, to warm themselves and to eat something. Navid and Talibah had carried the chest of weapons between them, getting spelled by Oliver and Nyssa at times. A knapsack containing the heads of both Rafit and Shafiq rested on Oliver’s shoulders.

As the foursome approached the fortress, Cheshire and a small group of assassins came out. Seeing that it was Oliver who was leading the group, Cheshire and her host knelt before their lord. They remained that way until he was upon them and motioned for them to rise. Looking him in the eye, Cheshire felt a desire to flinch back, so dark was the look there, darker than anything she had previously seen in this man.

“Assemble the League. One hour, in the great hall,” Oliver commanded, looking at his watch and noting the time before walking off to his quarters, Nyssa following.

When he reached their rooms, Oliver went inside and immediately disrobed. He found fresh clothing and carried it to the bathroom. Nyssa decided to follow him after undressing herself. Going inside, she was not surprised to see him starting a hot shower. She joined him under the hot water, taking the soap from his hand and proceeding to wash him. Once she was done, he returned the favor, each of them enjoying a moment of time to relax and center themselves.

Turning the shower off, Oliver handed Nyssa a towel and took one for himself. Quickly drying themselves, they then dressed in their League uniforms. Oliver made sure to put on his rings, as well as the demon’s head necklace. He then went and sat down on the couch. He had time, after all, and more to the point, he wanted to make them wait. He wanted them to wonder, perhaps even to get nervous, but even more importantly, he wanted to demonstrate his authority and set the stage. He was Ra’s al Ghul, the Demon’s Head. His will was law, his whim was their command. If he decided that they should stand and wait, then they would stand and wait.

Checking his watch, Oliver found that the hour had passed. But he made no move to leave his seat, instead looking at the tips of his fingers. Nyssa watched him curiously, trying to discern what his plan was with the meeting he had called. She knew that what had happened with Rafit and Shafiq was weighing on her husband and suspected that he was worrying about others still in the League that might have been partners in what they’d attempted or, if not, then shared similar beliefs, hidden behind blank faces.

“It’s time,” Oliver finally said, standing up.

“Yes, Husband,” Nyssa replied as she followed him to the door, where he stopped to retrieve the knapsack. Once he had that, he exited the room and walked through the halls of the fortress to the great hall. From slightly to the side, Nyssa could see the ranks of League members standing at attention. As soon as Oliver stepped through the door, they all knelt. Yet, Oliver paid this act little attention, instead focusing on any who might be a little slow to kneel or who continued looking upward. As he walked towards the middle of the room, he slipped the knapsack off his shoulder and then began to unzip the top.

Reaching his destination, he waited until Nyssa was beside him, along with Cheshire. He focused on the League members before him, watching for a reaction.

“Rise,” Oliver called.

As one, the assembled members stood and faced him. The faces that he could see were a mixture of curiosity and studious indifference. This didn’t necessarily surprise him, as the League wasn’t big on emotions and many of its members were masters at suppressing them.

“As I’m sure most of you are aware, there was an attempt by two of my horsemen to cause dissension in our ranks. They conspired to unseat my Heir, by spreading lies about her and attempting to make me question her loyalty to myself and the League. When I saw through this clumsy attempt and accused them of trying to remove me as Ra’s, they did not deny it and demanded trials by combat. At dawn yesterday, witnessed by Nyssa, Navid and Talibah, the trials were conducted. They failed and therefore are judged to have been guilty.”

As he said that last sentence, Oliver’s hand went into the knapsack and grabbed a large handful of hair. He felt to make sure, then yanked the knapsack away and revealed its gruesome contents. He held the heads up high, so that all could see them, see their faces especially.

“Rafit and Shafiq at least died with some measure of honor,” Oliver said, looking out over the assembled assassins and shadows. “They violated our laws and customs by going against the will of Ra’s al Ghul and seeking to undermine my Heir. I am not my predecessor, in that I will listen to rational, respectful dissent, as along as it is understood that once I give an order, it is to be obeyed. I will not tolerate whispers in the dark, I will not tolerate backstabbing and I especially will not tolerate disloyalty to the League. Everyone of you swore your fealty to the League and to Ra’s al Ghul. I expect all of you to remember that and honor the commitment that you have undertaken. If you can’t, then let these faces be a reminder of the consequences of going against your brothers and sisters.”

Oliver stood there in silence for two minutes, just holding the heads up. When he brought them back down, he didn’t put them back in the knapsack. Instead, he carried them in his hand while he walked through the League members, watching as they knelt before him. Leaving the great hall, Oliver walked down to his office. He figured it would be a couple of minutes for Cheshire to join him and Nyssa, who had already taken a seat in front of the desk.

“What are you planning on doing with those, Husband?” Nyssa asked.

“Throw them in the trash, unless you have another idea?”

“I wouldn’t say trash, but definitely dispose of them. As you yourself said, they did meet their ends with a degree of honor, despite what brought them to that end.”

Before Oliver could say anything in response to that, Cheshire walked into the office. A quick motion of his head and she closed the door, then leaned against it.

“So, what do you both think?” Oliver asked.

“I did not see any outward signs of dissension among those I was watching. However, I think that they all knew we would be watching, so...” Cheshire said.

“If they were a part of this or even just held similar views, they would have been doing their best to not be seen as being anything other than an obedient assassin.”

“Yes, my Lord. I do think that the swiftness with which you dealt with the threat, as well as the effectiveness of how you did so will have an effect on all of our members.”

“So, hopefully I was able to buy us time,” Oliver said, more thinking aloud than actually responding to her.

“We will have to be vigilant, Husband. I have my doubts that they were alone in their beliefs. And while the majority of the League is firmly behind you and has been since you dealt with ARGUS, there are still those who are of my father’s mindset. You resurrecting Ta-er al-Sahfer, bringing your sister, her beloved and Ta-er Aswad into the League as well as naming Cheshire as your heir are all things that would go against their beliefs,” Nyssa told him.

“Well, I do not regret any of those decisions. Still, I think the best things we can do is be watchful and train. The more skillful we all are, the better position we will be in and perhaps it will further demonstrate to the old guard that we are truly dedicated to the League.”

“Speaking of training. I sent Ta-er al-Sahfer and Ta-er Aswad on a mission yesterday,” Cheshire said. “We have reports of the Triad conducting human trafficking in Vancouver. I sent them there to investigate.”

“Very well,” Oliver told her, approving of the choice and thinking it would be a good mission for Sin to go on and gain experience. “And the others?”

“Their training is progressing. Sarie and al-Tirsana are working with al-Jabal this morning, then with myself this afternoon on their swordsmanship. Miss Bertinelli is training with my sister this morning on her archery, then will be ready for Nyssa this afternoon.”

“And anything that I need to be aware of?”

“No, my lord. Just the usual reports from our members around the world, but nothing that demands your urgent attention,” Cheshire told him.

“Then, you are both dismissed. I will see you tonight, my love,” Oliver said as he stood and gave Nyssa a kiss before sitting back down and picking up the first document in the pile on his desk. Both women walked out of the office and went their separate ways, as their days began. As for Oliver, it would be another morning spent going over paperwork.


	38. First Meetings

January 15, 2016

Central City

Barry walked through the CCPD precinct that he was assigned to. He didn’t see Joe or any of the other members of the Anti-Meta-human task force and a part of him was glad. Things had been busy of late, between Leonard Snart and his father Lewis and King Shark as well as discovering another Harrison Wells. Knowing that Laurel wasn’t ready to be involved just yet, he’d had the team keep the information from her as well as keep her away from STAR Labs for the time being. Cisco had told him that this was a mistake, that they could trust Laurel. He’d told Cisco that it wasn’t that he didn’t trust Laurel, it was more that they knew nothing about this Harrison Wells and he wanted to keep at least one card hidden for now.

In addition to all of that, there were also the normal crimes that needed to be solved. Which is why he wasn’t surprised to see his lab packed with evidence waiting to be processed. Closing the door and locking it, Barry got to work on it, cheating a little with his super speed. Still, the choke point was that the machines could only go so fast. So it was that soon, he had samples waiting to be tested and he was stuck waiting on the previous test to complete before he could swap out samples and start all over again.

Barry heard the doorknob rattle, followed by a knock. He checked the machine and saw that he had time, so he went over and opened it. He was a little surprised to see the newest detective standing there, as he didn’t know that he was processing any evidence for her. Then again, she was on the task force, so she might be checking for Joe or another task force member. Stepping aside he let here in.

“Hi, Barry Allen, right,” Patty Spivot said to him, a smile on her face that couldn’t help but draw one from him as well. "I'm Patty Spivot."

“Hi, Patty. What can I help you with?” Barry asked.

“Detective West just wanted me to follow up on the evidence from the Evans case.”

“Evans case? I don’t remember that one, which means the evidence is probably in that stack there.”

Patty looked at the stack of evidence envelopes and file boxes that contained bulkier items. Knowing that he was the only person working in the lab, as well as being called out to crime scenes, she didn’t make a comment on how much of a backlog there seemed to be. Besides, it wasn’t really her place to say anything anyway, as she was too new and none of the other detectives seemed overly bothered by the situation.

“Would you mind getting to it soon? That way I can tell him that you’re working on it,” Patty asked.

“As soon as I find it, I’ll get to work on it,” Barry told her.

“Thanks, Barry.”

With that, Patty turned and walked out of the lab, closing the door behind her, However, she’d barely left when his phone rang. It was Joe telling him to meet him at a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Grabbing his case, he headed downstairs. He wasn’t surprised to see Patty waiting for him, probably at Joe’s direction. Everybody in the precinct knew that he didn’t have a car, preferring to walk everywhere, so it was normal for someone heading to a distant scene to give him a ride.

When they arrived, Patty and Barry separated. Patty met with her fellow detectives, while Barry headed inside to find the scene and begin the job of processing it. Inside the warehouse, he saw nothing happening on the first floor, so he went over to the staircase and on up to the second floor. That’s where he found the scene. He could see what looked like a dozen bodies lying on the floor. Walking closer, he went to the first body and began taking photos and trying to find any evidence. The wounds were the first thing that he noticed, as they were not the gunshot wounds he had been expecting to see. The floor was littered with shell casings, however, and he made sure to document every single one of them just the same. The victims all had guns, everything from pistols to assault rifles.

“How long do you think it will take for you to get through all of this?” Joe asked from behind him.

“Probably most of the day, Joe. I’ll try to go as fast as I can, but...” Barry said, trailing off as he took in the scope of the crime scene.

“Yeah. Worst part is that most of this ‘evidence’ won’t help us catch whoever did this.”

“Still have to do it by the book, Joe.”

“I know,” Joe said, pushing down his feeling of frustration. He felt like this case shouldn’t have even been given to the task force, but the Captain had disagreed. The case was unusual, which meant that the task force took the first look. Only when they showed there was a logical explanation for what had happened did it get turned over to other detectives. “Any first impressions?”

“Just that whoever did this is very good,” Barry said, looking at the scene. “He or they went through these guys without a problem and did it without firing a shot.”

“Cause of death?”

“Well, this one had his throat slit and that one had a puncture wound to the heart, but it doesn’t look like any knife I’ve ever seen. The others are likely the same story, but I won’t know until I work my way over to them.”

With that, Barry focused back on collecting the evidence. Joe and the rest of the officers stand back, watching him work his way through the scene. Once he gets the first body cleared, the medical examiner and his assistants come in to collect the body. As he works his way through, he can’t help a feeling that strikes him, especially as he takes a closer look at the wounds on one of the victims. He’s seen damage like that before. But he pushes the thought down, because it can’t be what he thinks it is, can’t be who he thinks it is. Because Oliver isn’t here, he’s not even close. Still, for his own peace of mind, he tells himself that when he gets a moment, he’ll call the number that Oliver had given to him.

By the time Barry has finished, the sun had set and he figured that he would have to call a cab to come out and get him. Him and the two large bags of evidence that he had collected. But when he reached the exit to the warehouse, he found that someone had actually waited for him. Seeing Patty sitting in her car reading something definitely was not what he’d been expecting. Walking over to the driver’s side door, Barry went to tap on the window, but Patty was already rolling it down.

“Were you waiting for me?” Barry asked.

“Well, since you’re the last one here, I would assume so,” Patty said with a smile. “Come on and get it. The sooner I drop you back at the precinct, the sooner I can get home and get some sleep.”

Laughing, Barry walked around the car and opened the back door. Loading the bags and his case, he closed the door and then got into the front with Patty. Once he was settled in, Patty pulled away from the warehouse. The pair spent the ride back to the precinct in relative silence, as she could see that he was still sorting through what he’d seen and what looked like a thousand other things, just going by the looks that crossed his face. For his part, Barry wanted to talk to Patty, he just couldn’t figure out what to say. He’d always been nervous around women, which pretty well explained why he still hadn’t asked Caitlin out. He used the excuse that she was still grieving Ronnie and that it was too soon, but he hadn’t even tried, just as a friend, and that could only be put down to him.

When the car finally reached the precinct, Barry got out. He retrieved his case and the bags of evidence from the back seat and headed for the entrance. He had just about got there when he realized that he hadn’t actually thanked Patty for the ride. But when he turned, she was already gone. He made a mental note to do that tomorrow when he saw her, then resumed his trudge through the building and up to his lab. Once the door was locked, he went over to his desk and took out a couple of his special protein bars to eat. He hadn’t stopped for lunch and he was definitely feeling it now. Then he started unloading the evidence, waiting for his body to process the food and to start feeling a little better. He was still feeling a little sluggish when he got done emptying the bags of new evidence, so he sat down in a chair and leaned back to take a nap. The night time, with the low numbers of people in the building, was the perfect time to use his speed to go through a bunch of evidence that didn’t require the various machines in the lab, things like the shell casings that had littered the scene.

While Barry was settling into his chair, Patty Spivot was easing herself into a hot bath. It was one of the few creature comforts that she allowed herself, because she’d learned to do without such things. Growing up, there hadn’t been a lot of money and what there was was spent on the essentials. The one thing that they had had was love, until the day that her father had been killed by a mugger. Her mother had fallen into grief after that, while Patty had been a swirling mix of emotions, the dominant ones being rage and guilt. Because her father had been killed on his way to the bank to make a deposit from sales at his shoe store, which she had been supposed to do, only she’d ditched work that day.

So, Patty had taken to finding an outlet for that guilt and anger, focusing on finding the person who had killed her father. She didn’t realize the risks that she was taking, as her emotions began to cloud her judgment, her focus on her goal making her blind to anything else. It was at this time that someone who would have a lasting impact on her life showed up, only she didn’t know how truly lasting that impact would be. All she had thought was that this was finally someone who understood. And he offered to help her, to take her someplace that could teach her what she would need to find and serve justice on the man who had killed her father.

A month later and she was far from home and very nervous as she followed her guide through the gates of Nanda Parbat. But then she has been awed at what she saw, especially the various black clad warriors who seemed to be training everywhere. She wanted to be like them, she realized, before she remembered the warning she’d been given before leaving home, that the man called Ra’s al Ghul would have to judge her as worthy. She could only hope that he would, as her guide lead her into a large room with what looked like a stone tub at the far end. Seeing the man standing before the tub, she instantly knew she was in the presence of Ra’s. She knelt when the man guiding her knelt.

“Salah, you’re mission was a success?” Ra’s asked as he turned.

“It was, my lord. The bio-weapon that he was working on will not be completed,” Salah said.

“And this young woman?”

“I found her as I was performing reconnaissance on the target, my lord. She was seeking the man who murdered her father.”

“To what end?” Ra’s asked. “I would like her to answer, Salah.”

“To get justice. The police don’t care, they’re barely even trying and pretty much told my mom and I that it was a hopeless case,” Patty has said.

“But isn’t that sometimes the way of the world? Sometimes, there is no justice.”

“Then what is the point of what you do, if not to seek justice for those that can not?”

“She has spirit, Salah,” Ra’s said as a smile ghosted over his lips. “You are correct, child. The League of Assassins, by replacing evil with death, does dispense justice to people and more fairly than the so-called justice systems of any nation. A worthy cause that has bound thousand to the League, to me.”

“And all of these people are willing to fight for you?” Patty asked, looking at the man.

“They are willing to die for me. You must be as well, if we wish to join their ranks.”

“I am willing to do whatever it takes to get justice for my father and others like him.”

“A bold claim, child,” Ra’s said as he put his hand underneath her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. He could feel the shiver that ran through the young woman at the power she saw there. “Your training shall begin tomorrow. Salah shall show you to your quarters.”

What had followed was the toughest year of her young life. Nothing in her past experience could have prepared her for what she had to endure. Yet, endure it she did, largely because of the man who had brought her there. It had seemed unlikely at first, given not only the fact that he was a decade or more older than her, as well as being her teacher. But slowly, as time passed and they spent hours together, a bond had formed between them. So much so that even Ra’s had quietly commented on it to Salah one day as he was discussing her progress. This in turn led to Ra’s commanding their marriage once she completed her training, the same day that she was given her League name of Amina.

She had been surprised, if also pleased, when Ra’s had made her and her husband Shadows. The only disappointment had been when he’d assigned them to two different cities. They had consoled themselves with the fact that Central City and Starling weren’t too far apart. So, they developed a routine once they were settled, where one of them would try to take the train and visit the other ever other weekend. They both accepted that their missions came first, meaning that it didn’t always work out for their visits, but they focused on the time they could have together.

For Patty, her mission had been to get onto the local police force, where she could run searches and direct efforts against the criminals of the city while also steering the occasional investigation away from a League target. Just recently, that had changed a little, to now include keeping a covert eye on two people, Barry Allen and Laurel Lance. Knowing who Ra’s had been, as well as who Barry and Laurel were, she wasn’t surprised by this order. Plus, she was something of a fan of the Flash, even if he didn’t exactly deliver justice as she’d come to view it. He was willing to try and help people against criminals most of them would have no hope of defending themselves against.

Now that she had met Barry, she would have to find a way to get close to Miss Lance. She’d start by following her from afar for a few days, if she could, and get a feel for her. Then, she would decide how to insert herself into her life, something casual and seemingly random. After that, she would just let things take their own course, just as Salah had taught her.

January 16, 2016

Vancouver

Sara woke up to the sun coming in the bedroom windows of the apartment that served as one of the League’s safe houses in the city. She’d chosen this one due to its proximity to the docks, but even she had been surprised by how close to them it actually was. When Sin had first seen it, she’d made the statement that they could just go to the roof and shoot their lines across to get where they needed to be. It had almost made her reconsider the place, but then she’d seen the view from the apartment and considered the advantages. If they kept the lights off and wore their uniforms, they could actually sit back in the apartment’s living room and see a good deal of what they needed.

Feeling Sin stir against her, Sara smiled. Sometime in the night, the young woman had slipped into her bedroom and curled up beside her. Now, they were spooning, with Sara’s arms wrapped around the black haired girl.

“Morning, Sin,” Sara said lightly.

“Morning, Sara,” Sin replied, then her eyes shot open as she realized what that meant. Taking in how they were laying, she flushed and closed her eyes.

“It’s OK, Sin. I didn’t mind.”

“I don’t even remember coming in here.”

“Probably because of the long flight from Nanda Parbat,” Sara told her. “I know I was kinda beat, too.”

“How do you handle it if there’s something that needs to be done immediately?” Sin asked.

“Drink some strong coffee and push through. Take little naps here and there. With time, you’ll figure out what works for you.”

Whatever response Sin might have given died on her lips as both women heard the sound of the front door being opened. Sara rolled out of bed and grabbed her bo while Sin looked around for a weapon she could use. Seeing a pair of knives on the nightstand, she grabbed them. They made quite a pair, dressed in panties and long t-shirts and armed. Sara moved to the doorway, her bo broken down into two pieces. By unspoken agreement, she was the first through the doorway, followed by Sin.

There, standing in the entryway, was a brunette with glasses. At her feet, and the likely source of the noise that had alerted them, was a large case on wheels. She had a backpack over her shoulder, which she shrugged off when she saw Sara and Sin standing across the living room from her. The woman moved in such a way that she could defend herself, while also not actively presenting a threat to the other women. Then she realized who she was looking at and smiled shyly.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer,” she said with a slight bow. “I bring greetings from Salah. He sent me to aid in your mission, if you should need it.”

“And you are?” Sara asked, not recognizing the face. Probably someone who had joined in the last year or so.

“Al-Qarasina.”

“The hacker? You might be useful at that, depending on what we find. This is my student and friend, Ta-er Aswad.”

“We should probably get dressed,” Sin said, noticing how al-Qarasina kept looking at her and thinking she might be uncomfortable at how little Sara and her were wearing. Sara, on the other hand, was seeing those same looks and fighting to keep from smiling, realizing that the hacker was taken with her friend. And while Sara wasn’t one hundred percent certain Sin swung that way, she thought it was very likely and she couldn’t wait to see if she was right or not.

“You don’t have to on my account,” al-Qarasina told Sin. “Personally, I think you look great just as you are.”

Sin flushed slightly, which both Sara and al-Qarasina thought looked super cute on her. Then, she turned and practically ran from the room.

“What’s in the case?” Sara asked.

“A laptop, second display for it. A couple of tablets as well, plus some untraceable phones and a couple of USB thumb drives. If they have a networked computer and you put one of those in, I can take over their system in thirty seconds, their whole network in about two minutes and the best part is they’ll never know I was there,” al-Qarasina told her with a smile. “Plus, my bow and quiver are in there, as well as a set of knives.”

“And where did you want to set up?”

Al-Qarasina looked around the apartment, seeing it with two different sets of eyes. She cataloged everything, letting her training give her answers and ideas. Finally, she picked the far corner, near the windows that looked out over the docks. If she used the curtains, she could sit there in her League uniform and be basically invisible from the outside, just another shadow.

“Help me move that table over to here, Ta-er Al-Sahfer.”

Together, the two women moved the dining table over to the corner that al-Qarasina had chosen. Then, Sara stood back and watched as the woman began unloading her case onto it. Watching her work, she was reminded of a brown haired Felicity. That was, until the hacker began removing her weapons as well, something that Sara just couldn’t really see Felicity having. When everything was set up as she wanted it, al-Qarasina settled back into the chair she brought over and got a feel for it. It wasn’t as comfortable as her computer chair back in Starling, but she’d been a lot more uncomfortable in the past. All that really matter was that she could reach what she needed to reach and that she would be able to get her part of the mission accomplished from here.

Sin had come back into the room while the hacker was working, so now Sara left to get dressed as well. Sin decided to sit on the couch on her knees, looking over the back of it at al-Qarasina. She couldn’t help it, the brunette was hot. The outfit, the glasses, the look just screamed sexy librarian casual day between the blouse and cardigan paired with a pair of skinny jeans. When al-Qarasina looked up from what she was doing, she caught Sin staring at her and gave the younger woman a wink.

Al-Qarasina had been a teenager when she’d discovered her sexuality, something that she’d taken pains to keep hidden from her parents. Over the years, she’d developed her gaydar and it was screaming that Sin was one hundred percent lesbian. So, if there was time, she would definitely be interested in getting to know the black haired woman better. But only if there was time, because the mission came first. And if not, well, it was likely that they would see one another again.

“Will you be able to see everything you’ll need to from here?” al-Qarasina asked Sin.

“I don’t know,” Sin told her, because she didn’t know where on the docks their actual target was. Sara hadn’t gone over that with her yet. Looking towards the bedrooms, she saw Sara standing in the doorway, just watching them. “Ta-er al-Sahfer would be the better one to ask.”

“As much as I would like to think we can, it is likely we will need to get into the warehouse that they are using,” Sara said. “Why don’t we go into the kitchen and I’ll show you what we already know.”

The three of them walked into the kitchen and sat down at the small table there. Sara took a map out of her jeans pocket and opened it up, before laying it on the table. Sin and al-Qarasina could easily see that it showed the docks as well as a little of the surrounding area, including where their apartment was. There were no marks on the map however, causing them to look at the blonde curiously.

“This is where we are now. And this is the building that the trafficking ring has been using as a temporary holding facility, until they can process the victims. What makes this group particularly interesting to us is that they traffic in both direction, meaning Western girls get sent to China, Japan and other parts of Asia as sex slaves, while Chinese men and women get smuggled into Canada through Vancouver to work in restaurants, for the lucky ones, and numerous illegal pursuits for the unlucky.”

“So, you need to get access to find out when the next shipment is, who the buyers and sellers are?”

“Or, get access to their computer so that you can find that for us,” Sara told her with a smile. “We’d also like to get some names and faces, so that we can remove the key players when the time comes.”

“And you’ll go after dark,” al-Qarasina said, less a question than a statement. “So, what shall we do for the next few hours until it gets dark?”

“Grab your weapons and follow me.”

With that, the three women gathered up their weapons into various duffle bags before following Sara out of the apartment. Going downstairs, she went out the back door and over to a late model sedan. Sin took the front passenger seat, while al-Qarasina got in the back seat and Sara drove. They then took a car tour of the surrounding area, after which they headed for another of the League’s safe houses in the city, one which contained a large gym on the second floor. This would be perfect for them to get some training in.

When they got into the room, they found a number of weapons that they could use. Sara went over and selected a pair of boes, handing one each to the others. She then took out her bo and stepped into the center of the room. The challenge was clear, putting the pair of them against Sara. When they began, Sara set the speed and aggressiveness, keeping to a moderate tempo and medium strength strikes. Once she knew the others understood, the fight was on. Sin and al-Qarasina had never trained together, yet they soon fell into a rhythm and flow. Sin would strike low, while her partner aimed high, looking to force openings in Sara’s defense. Yet, Sara always seemed to have an answer, pivoting from one strike to the next while performing twists and turns, flips and leaps.

Two hours later and Sara finally called a halt. She could see that Sin was tired, as was al-Qarasina. Sara herself wasn’t, but that was because of the stamina she’d built up. She knew Sin would get there, it was just a matter to time and training. But for now, they would head back to the apartment and get a little sleep before it was time to venture out tonight. She wanted them all to be rested when the time came.

After the drive back to the apartment, they all went inside and stopped. Sara was the first to recognize the problem. There were three of them and only two bedrooms. Worse, whoever had set up the apartment had gone with queen size beds in both bedrooms, meaning there were only two beds. Sara thought for a second and decided that it wouldn’t be a problem for her and Sin to share again, giving al-Qarasina the other bed. But, before she could speak, Sin did.

"Al-Qarasina and I can share,” Sin said, blushing slightly.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I’ve seen the looks you two have been giving each other. How can I be sure you’ll actually sleep?” Sara asked, teasing the young woman.

Both women turned to glare at Sara, who just stood there with a smirk on her face. Yet, nothing more was said as Sin and al-Qarasina went into the back bedroom. Sin grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom, while al-Qarasina simply undressed and slipped under the covers. A part of her wondered if this was the right move or if she should put something on to sleep in besides her panties and sports bra. She decided to let it go and see what happened. When Sin came back into the room, she was wearing the same long t-shirt from this morning and a nervous expression on her face. Al-Qarasina just patted the bed beside here, a gentle expression on her face.

“Lay down, Ta-er Aswad,” al-Qarasina said, her voice soft.

Sin was still feeling conflicted as she climbed into bed, slipping under the covers. She was getting into bed with a woman that she’d just met, who also happened to be a woman she found very attractive. And Sin had never done this before, whatever this was. Because once she was settled, she felt the bed shift and froze, expecting the other woman to roll towards her and try to snuggle up to her. Instead, she turned the other way, facing the far wall.

Al-Qarasina didn’t need to be gifted to read the discomfort that was coming off Sin. So, she took a step to try to ease that discomfort. By turning away, she was leaving the next move up to Sin. If she had read her right initially, the raven haired woman might turn towards her or, if not that, then at least relax enough to get some sleep. Secretly, she was hoping for the first option, not that she would go any further today than perhaps holding her as they slept. They weren’t at the stage of doing anything more, not until they knew each other better. She’d had one-night stands in the past, but never with a fellow League member and she wasn’t going to change that not, not when she had hopes of something more in the future.

The sound of the bed moving slightly brought a smile to al-Qarasina’s lips. She then felt Sin settle up against her, only to pull back for a moment before returning. When the slim arm wrapped around her, she took the hand in one of hers and gave it a squeeze before letting go. She then closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. Sin soon followed her, neither of them noticing Sara looking around the doorway and smiling.

Four hours later, Sara knocked at the open door and told them to get up. It was dark outside and therefore time for them to start getting ready. Going into the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and took out some eggs and bacon. By the time she had that cooked, both Sin and al-Qarasina were at the table. It wasn’t a big meal for any of them, but it would serve its purpose of giving them something without leaving them feeling tired and sluggish. Once they were finished, al-Qarasina took care of the dishes while Sin and Sara went and got dressed in their League uniforms.

The dishes were done and the hacker was at her temporary workstation when the pair came back into the room. Both of them had a bow and quiver, the fletching on the arrows matching the highlights on their respective uniforms. Sin had a pair of Sai as well, while Sara had her bo broken down into its two batons. As weapons of last resort, they both had knives for up close or to throw. Sara looked at Sin and decided that she needed to remind her of a few things before they left.

“You’re armed, but remember, we are not to engage. This is simply reconnaissance. We are to gather information without them seeing us or even knowing that we were ever there. If they know, then we have failed at our mission, Ta-er Aswad,” Sara said, her tone holding a clear command to it.

“Yes, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Sin said, looking at her teacher.

“Follow my lead, do what I tell you and stay in the shadows as much as possible.”

“I understand.”

“Are you ready, al-Qarasina?” Sara asked.

“Almost. Just two things,” al-Qarasina told her before reaching into her case. “Take these, they’ll let us keep in contact, if necessary. And here are the USB drives, too.”

Sara took the two USB drives and put them into a pouch next to her baton holder on her uniform. She then took the ear pieces, slipping one into her ear and then showing Sin how to put hers in as well. Looking back, she saw al-Qarasina putting on a headset. She was slightly surprised that the hacker had the ear pieces, as she’d never used them on a mission before. Last time she’d used one was while working with the old Team Arrow taking down Slade and his army. Still, they made sense in this situation, dealing with a tech.

Leading Sin out of the apartment, Sara went up to the rooftop and walked to the edge facing the docks. She kept back enough so that she wouldn’t be spotlighted against the sky behind her, but still where she could see what she needed to. She spent the next ten minutes just watching, trying to get a feel for the rhythm of the area. She was especially looking for guards, whether just private security for the docks in general or people working with the criminals they were tracking.

“Al-Qarasina, can you hear me?” Sara asked quietly.

“Loud and clear, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” came an immediate response from the woman down below.

“Heading out now.”

“See you when you get back.”

With that, Sara took her bow and knocked an arrow, one that would shoot a line across to the nearest warehouse. She aimed at the brick shelter that was the roof access for the building and let the arrow fly. Once it struck, she secured the other end of the line above their heads and tugged on it. Satisfied, she used her bow and ran off the edge of the building, sliding down the line and landing on top of the warehouse. A moment later and Sin was stumbling to a stop next to her. Sara motioned for her to stay still, so that she could listen and see if anyone might have taken notice of their arrival.

Once Sara was certain that no one had heard them, she began moving across the roof. At the other end, there was a three foot gap to the next warehouse. This was their target for the night, but they were going to go slowly. So, when they reached the edge, Sara laid down on the roof and looked cautiously over the edge. She counted two men as the side door and two more, one at each corner but back enough to be concealed in the shadows themselves. She reached into the pouch she had at the back of her belt and took out a camera. Working quietly, she tried to get pictures of the men’s faces. It took time, but eventually she was able to do so, as well as another man who came out the door for what looked like a check of the guards. Something about him suggested that he was, if not in charge, then definitely higher ranking than the guards.

From watching them, she noticed a couple of things. These men had obviously been doing this for some time, which had caused them to fall into a pattern. This was excellent news for the assassins who would attack later on. She also saw that they never looked up, never checked the rooftops of the neighboring buildings. Their focus was on ground level, likely because that’s how their threats had materialized in the past. That would also work in their benefit.

Only when she had determined she’d seen enough did Sara move on to the next phase of the mission. Taking a deep breath, she moved a few paces back and then sprinted to the edge and leaped to the next rooftop. She waited there, looking over at Sin and listening. Then, she nodded to her student and waited for her to follow. This time, Sin landed almost silently. Together, they walked to the roof access and paused there. Sara tested the handle to the door and found it surprisingly unlocked. Turning the handle, she slowly opened the door enough for Sin to slip through, then followed her as she pulled the door closed. The top level of the stairwell was dark, so she made her way down to the next level.

There was light coming from under the door here, so Sara paused next to it and listened. What she heard was cause for alarm, the sound of footsteps approaching. Motioning Sin up the stairs, Sara took a different approach and walked up the walls so that she was hovering over the doorway. She focused on holding her position as the door opened below her and a pair of men came out. As they went down the stairs, she carefully walked her way back down the walls and caught the door just before it closed. Going through, she felt her student join her on the walkway. Looking out, she saw another figure on the opposite walkway, their back turned to them. Sara looked quickly and judged the shadows sufficient to make their way to the other end of the building where the offices seemed to be. Moving slowly, she led the way across, keeping her eyes scanning the entire time. When the figure on the other walkway turned, she and Sin pressed themselves into the shadows, held their breaths and waited until he had passed them before proceeding once again.

Reaching the other end of the walkway, Sara checked the door and then opened it a sliver. This was obviously the office for the warehouse. Going inside the darkened office, they looked around as quietly as they could. Sin was the one to find the computer, sitting on a desk that was against the side wall. She got Sara’s attention so the other woman could bring one of the USB drives over.

“Ah, you found a computer,” al-Qarasina said over the communications device. “And I’m in.”

Sara and Sin didn’t respond, as they searched the rest of the office and Sara took a few pictures of what they found. After that, it was time to get out of there, as they had enough information for the later attack to be planned. The only problem was that the two men they had seen in the stairwell were now back on the walkway they had used to reach the office, effectively trapping them for the moment. The only option at the moment was to wait them out until they were presented with a chance to leave the office. That was until Sin saw the door on the far end of the room.

Going over there, Sin eased the door open and saw it led to the other walkway. This walkway was now empty, making Sara wonder if they’d just happened to catch a time when the guards took their breaks or something. Either way, it was a means to get out of here and that was what mattered, because the longer they stayed in that office, the more likely they were to be discovered. So, she took the lead and moved cautiously into the shadows outside the office. It was slower going with two guards on the opposite walkway, but eventually they made it to the end. And even better, this end didn’t have a door, just a doorway that lead out to a different stairwell. It took a moment, but Sara found a way back to the roof for them and from there, it was just a matter of retracing their path to get back to the apartment.

“That was fun,” Sin said as they came through the door.

“Glad you thought so,” Sara responded. “We’ll see how you feel tomorrow when we’re going over how the mission went, then head out for training.”

“Why? What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing wrong, necessarily. But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t things that we could have done better. For now, I’m heading for bed. See you both later.”

With that, Sara headed for the bedroom she was using, leaving Sin and al-Qarasina in the living room. Getting out of her uniform, she flopped back on the bed and was asleep in minutes. Sin watched her teacher leave, feeling a little like she’d done something wrong, even if Sara had said she hadn’t. Al-Qarasina seemed to sense this, as she came up behind the smaller woman and wrapped her arms around her.

“Don’t dwell on whatever it is you’re thinking, Ta-er Aswad,” al-Qarasina said softly. “It does you no good and you’ll have your chance to talk with her later today.”

“I just felt like it went well,” Sin told her.

“I have a feeling you’re being too hard on yourself and reading more into what Ta-er al-Sahfer said than she meant. Now, I suggest we get some sleep, so that you are ready to face tomorrow.”

Sin followed the other woman into their room and just undressed before climbing into bed. When al-Qarasina spooned up against her, she settled into the embrace, allowing herself to relax enough to go to sleep. She would follow the other woman’s advise and face whatever it was when it came tomorrow.


	39. The Best Laid Schemes o’ Mice an’ Men

January 17, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Nyssa and Oliver were in their private training room. When they had woken up that morning, she had commented on the fact that they hadn’t spared together recently and that she missed the challenge. He had seen the glint in her eyes and smiled back, because he also missed spending time with her. Most of his time was consumed with the running of the League, though he and Cheshire finally had a firm grasp on the paperwork. Even so, there was a lot of other details that required his attention, from the daily training of members to making sure that all of those that the League dealt with were treated fairly.

Today, he was going to take an hour, if not more, and spend it training against Nyssa. They each had a pair of Escrima sticks and were working on attacks and defenses. Although, if he was being perfectly honest, Oliver would freely admit that he was admiring his wife’s form as much as he was the skill of her moves. Still, Nyssa noticed and decided to take advantage of it by waiting until his eyes shifted then striking. He just barely was able to block the attack and certainly didn’t miss the smirk she gave him.

After that, Oliver made certain to keep his attention firmly focused on the training. He also decided to begin increasing his speed, watching as Nyssa matched him. As they went, they tried new things, little variations on other moves or even just ideas that came into their heads at a given moment. Oliver was a little better at this, as his training had involved a host of different styles that he learned from Slade, Shado and the League. Still, Nyssa learned as she defended against an attack and then tried using the same attack against Oliver later on.

“That was fun,” Oliver said when they finally stopped.

“Indeed, it was, Husband,” Nyssa said as she came up to him with a bottle of water.

“Thank you, my love.”

The couple settled down onto the floor and performed a series of cool down exercises. Oliver used this time to also meditate. He could feel himself becoming colder with every passing day, so he used this time to remind himself of all the good things. Things like his sister’s love, his own love for Nyssa and Sara, the fact that he was making not only the League, but the entire world better by what he was doing. He reminded himself to never lose sight of those things, lest he end up becoming like Nyssa’s father.

Once their cool down period was over, Nyssa and Oliver stood and shared a brief kiss before they went their separate way. Nyssa would be spending the rest of her morning training Helena, while Oliver would be in his office going over the previous night’s reports. He used the walk as a chance to just keep an eye on whatever struck him at the moment. He happened to see Thea and Roy training with al-Jabal for instance, so he paused to watch unobserved for a moment. He was pleased to see how well the pair were doing and wondered if it might be time to send them on missions as well. It was something he would have to think about, as well as determine who would accompany them.

Continuing his walk down to his office, Oliver was not surprised in the least to see Cheshire already there. What did surprise him was seeing his phone sitting on the desk. Since the last time he’d returned from Starling City, he had been keeping it locked in the bottom drawer of the desk. The battery was good for about a week, if it was just left sitting. So, once a week, he would charge it before putting it back away. He didn’t need it, really, because there were only three people outside the League who now knew the number and only one of them who would call it. Yet, seeing it sitting there and seeing the look on his Heir’s face, he could only assume that the phone had rung.

“It has rung three times since I came in, my lord,” Cheshire told him. “I was tempted to answer the last time, but I was not sure if you would approve.”

“Barry Allen is aware of the League,” Oliver said after he flipped the phone open and saw the number. “You could have answered, if necessary.”

“And him being aware doesn’t trouble you?”

“Not particularly, no. Barry is a good man, too good at times. He lacks the will to do what is necessary. I can not judge him for that, when I suffered the same failing for a time. Nyssa helped me realize that sometimes the only choice was to take a life. Barry hasn’t come to that realization yet and knowing the man, I doubt he’ll ever be able to make that leap, even after all he’s suffered.”

Oliver couldn’t help thinking about Barry and his nemesis, Eobard Thawne. The man who was responsible for the death of Barry’s mother, his father spending fifteen years in prison after being convicted of the crime and Barry being essentially an orphan. Barry had had the man at his mercy and yet, let him live. Thawne had only died when his ancestor had killed himself in order to kill him. Oliver couldn’t help reflecting on his two enemies, Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson. He’d tried to kill Malcolm during the Undertaking and had thought he’d succeeded, while he had refused to kill Slade. A small part of what had held him back was the fact that Slade had once been his brother and he still believed that man was inside the monster that was Deathstroke. But, the bigger part was the fact that he’d been influenced by Felicity and Diggle to believe that killing was wrong, even for the man who had killed his mother right in front of him and his sister.

The phone rang again, pulling Oliver from his thoughts. A glance at the small display showed Barry, confirming who it was. Taking a breath, he flipped the phone open and put it to his ear.

“Hello, Barry,” Oliver said.

“Oliver, hi. How are you doing?” Barry asked nervously.

“Really, Barry? You’re calling to see how I’m doing?”

“No, not really. Have you been in Central City recently?”

“Not since I helped you with the Reverse Flash,” Oliver told him. “Why?”

“We just have a strange case right now. A dozen men, all heavily armed, taken out by an archer, a very good archer,” Barry said, trying to listen for any kind of tell from Oliver.

“And I assume your first thought was me, right?”

“You do fit the bill, Oliver. And we both know that you don’t exactly have a problem when using deadly force.”

“Well, I’m not there, nor have I been recently. So, I’m not the one who did this,” Oliver said, keeping his tone even.

“What about the League?” Barry asked.

“I would suggest taking a closer look at these ‘victims’. They might give you the answers that you’re looking for.”

Oliver sat and listened to the sound of Barry’s breathing, the other man clearly thinking about that answer. But, there was no way that Oliver was ever going to admit to anyone, much less Barry Allen, that the League was responsible. The League was meant to be secret, a thing of rumor and myth, the bogeyman that keep those doing evil awake at night. He did think that once Barry or the CCPD looked into these men, then Barry would understand why he’d directed the League to act against them. He also believed that Barry would realize the futility of the CCPD looking any further into this and that the case would eventually just go cold.

“Was there something else, Barry?” Oliver asked when the younger man hadn’t said anything for a time.

“Laurel. We found out that she has powers, Oliver.”

“What do you mean, she has powers?”

Oliver was definitely curious about that. The reports that he had gotten since Laurel had moved to Central City had told him many things, from her finding a new job with a highly thought of law firm to her running into Samantha Clayton. It had even told him about Laurel spending time around the members of Barry’s team. He had thought that she would be working with them as Black Canary. He hadn’t known that she was there because of another reason, something potentially more serious.

“She was caught in a bank robbery,” Barry said quietly, obviously thinking about how to say what he needed to say. “One of the robbers aimed his gun at her and Laurel screamed, except when she screamed, she sent the guy flying like a leaf in the breeze and ended up giving him a concussion when he hit a kiosk. Cisco is calling it the Canary Cry.”

“Of course he is,” Oliver said flatly. One of the things that bothered him about Barry’s team was the “cute” nicknames they had for everything, something he felt was largely the doing of Cisco. It made him wonder how seriously they were taking what they were doing, even after what happened with Eddie Thawne, Ronnie Raymond and then the Singularity. He knew that Barry and his team didn’t need to be like him, but then again, his way had kept him alive.

“Hey, it’s better than saying ‘Laurel’s Scream’. Anyway, we’re working with her so that she can control it.”

“Exactly how dangerous is it?”

“For Laurel? It shouldn’t be, as long as she takes care of herself. We’ve already found that her caloric intake is close to what mine is. We haven’t tested if she has anything like my healing abilities, because we’re focusing on the Cry. As for others, it could be fatal, if she really lets go. Caitlin and Cisco measured the sound of her scream at 250 dB when it hits the target, which is more than enough to kill a person. A long enough scream could potentially bring down a building,” Barry told him.

Oliver was stunned. All he could do was sit there, not knowing what to say. When did this become his life, where he was the leader of a group of assassins, one of whom was his own sister. Where his friend, whom he had brought back to life was another and her girlfriend was his wife. Now, now he finds out that another friend has the ability to kill people just by screaming at them. And that wasn’t even counting those he’d lost, whether from death or them turning their backs on him.

“Thank you, Barry,” Oliver said softly, his mind still a whirl. “Take care of her for us, please.”

“Of course, Oliver. I’ll talk to you again soon.”

Oliver heard the click on the line and took the phone away from his ear. He flipped it closed and then returned it to the desk drawer, locking it once it was closed. He closed his eyes and began to meditate, wanting to get his head in the right place before he started the day’s work. Making decisions that could be life or death wasn’t something he wanted to do when his thoughts were all over the place. It took him a few moments, but eventually he was able to calm his thoughts. He opened his eyes and pulled the first set of papers to him.

January 17, 2016

Vancouver

Sin woke up and stretched, letting out a little yawn as she did so. As she looked over, she realized that she was alone in bed. Getting up, she pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans before pushing her feet into a pair of tennis shoes. Ready to face the day, she then ventured out of her room and smiled when she saw al-Qarasina sitting in front of her computer. She made a stop in the kitchen and got a mug full of coffee, then walked up behind the other woman. Before she could take a sip, a hand reached back and grabbed the mug.

“All you had to do was ask,” Sin said grumpily before walking back to the kitchen for another mug.

“Sorry,” al-Qarasina responded, not really meaning it. She’d been up for a while now and her body was calling for some caffeine. “I’ve got most of the stuff you brought back entered and sorted. Once Ta-er al-Sahfer joins us, she can take us through everything.”

“In that case, you earned that coffee.”

“Thank you, Ta-er Aswad.”

“I’m surprised she isn’t up yet,” Sin said, looking back at the bedroom doors.

“Oh, she is. She left a while ago, saying something about breakfast,” al-Qarasina told her.

Sin couldn’t help laughing at that, remembering early mornings in the old clock tower in Starling. She’d make her way there with a bag of burgers and some soft drinks, finding Sara in her Canary costume. And the one time she’d accidentally surprised the blonde, she’d almost gotten her face smashed in with the end of Sara’s bo. She’d once asked Sara why she’d chosen the tower and that was how she learned about height being an advantage, the ability to see further, have time to prepare or escape. Little did she know that that was one of the first steps onto the path she would find.

Sin jumped a little when she felt a hand lightly caressing her arm. She looked over at al-Qarasina and blushed slightly at the look in the other woman’s eyes. Butterflies seemed to suddenly take wing in her stomach. She’d never had someone look at her that way before.

“Sorry,” al-Qarasina said when Sin didn’t respond to the touch.

“Don’t be. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“You should, because I think you’re gorgeous.”

“I’m not, really,” Sin told her. “Ta-er al-Sahfer is gorgeous, Nyssa is gorgeous. Me, I’m a tomboy.”

“Just because you don’t look like them or like those women on the magazine covers doesn’t make you any less beautiful,” al-Qarasina responded, turning to fully face the other woman. “True beauty comes from within and shines outward.”

The sound of the door opening stopped whatever response Sin might have made to that, which was just as well as she couldn’t think of one at the moment. A part of her felt that the words were a lie, because she just didn’t see herself that way. She also knew that most others didn’t either. But, there were times where her lack of attractiveness had been a blessing, especially when the gangs had been grabbing girls off the streets in the Glades. A couple of acquaintances had been less fortunate and neither had been heard from again, other than as rumors that they’d been taken overseas. With those words, it hadn’t taken any imagination to understand what that meant.

“I’ve got us some Big Belly Burgers,” Sara said as she came into the room, a large bag in one hand and a drink carrier in the other. “And some shakes as well.”

“Burgers and fries for breakfast. Just like old times.”

“You know it, though these should be warmer than the ones you used to bring to the clock tower.”

“In my defense, you try sneaking food through the Glades to a vigilante’s hideout and see how you do,” Sin said with a grin, knowing that Sara had basically stuck to canned foods that didn’t need to be heated whenever she didn’t show up.

“We’ll have to try that some time,” Sara said with a laugh. “But who’s going to be the vigilante if I’m the one acting as the sidekick.”

Al-Qarasina couldn’t help herself, she just had to laugh as well. Sin did her best to glare at both of them before she snatched the bag out of Sara’s hand and took it to the counter. Opening it, she found a couple of burgers and a helping of fries. Taking those, she found a place to sit and put her food down before going back for a drink. Sara smiled watching her friend, never ceasing to be amazed at how much the petite girl could eat as she grabbed her own food. Al-Qarasina took a burger and fries back to her computer station, eating as she worked at the last of the information that had been gathered. When they were finished, the pair joined the other woman at the computers and looked over her shoulders.

“So, what did we find?”

“A lot,” al-Qarasina told her. “Some of it is in code, but there’s enough that isn’t for me to make sense of the rest of it. Biggest things are these.”

“Their next sale is on the nineteenth,” Sara said with an evil grin.

“Even better, its a big one. They’ve got product ready to ship out, as well as what is coming in on the freighter. Outbound is over one hundred girls, inbound looks like both men and women.”

“What’s that?” Sin asked, pointing to a document that was on the second monitor. It was actually a photo that Sara had taken of the documents on the office. One of the documents was obscured by a document on top of it, but there was something there that had caught Sin’s eye.

“Can you zoom in on that?”

Sara felt her blood run cold as the image became a little clearer. This one image changed everything, she thought as she grabbed her phone and began dialing.

“I need to speak with Ra’s al Ghul, urgently,” Sara said when the line was answered.

“What is that matter, Beloved?” Nyssa asked a moment later.

“I need to speak to Ra’s, Nyssa. Either him or Warith al Ghul.”

“He is coming. But, please, you sound unlike yourself.”

“Al-Qarasina, send everything we found to Nanda Parbat,” Sara said over her shoulder, then turned her attention back to the phone. “We performed an initial reconnaissance of our target last night. I was going over what we found with Ta-er Aswad and al-Qarasina this morning. We found something disturbing in one of the photographs I took.”

“We have them now,” Oliver said. “Give us a minute to look through them.”

Oliver, Nyssa and Cheshire all stood facing one of the big monitors as the information was put up on the screen. They went through each piece slowly, taking in the information. When the photograph came up that had gotten Sara’s attention, they could all see what she was so concerned about. Even though it was partially hidden by the other piece of paper, the symbol denoting an object was nuclear was there. The only questions were what was the object that was being smuggled in and who was the buyer.

“I see it. Begin making your plans, Ta-er al-Sahfer. I will send Nyssa and five other assassins to join you. She will take command when she arrives.”

“Forgive me for questioning you, my Lord, but do you think that eight of us will be enough? Just in terms of human cargo, there will be over two hundred persons. I believe that this will mean a large number of guards, plus however many security people those attending the sale will have. I don’t want to take any chances that whatever this is gets slipped out under our noses.”

“I agree with my Beloved,” Nyssa said. “Eight of us might not be enough to end this smuggling ring as well as locate and neutralize whatever threat this nuclear material poses. I believe that I should take eleven others with me. With Ta-er al-Sahfer, Ta-er Aswad and al-Qarasina, we would have fifteen total. Fourteen if we have al-Qarasina handle communications and video.”

“There’s not much in the way of cameras in the area, Nyssa,” al-Qarasina told her. “However, we could plant our own.”

“Then, that is your mission for today,” Oliver told her. “You and Ta-er Aswad will get those cameras into position. Ta-er al-Sahfer, you will work on the plan. I want everything ready when Nyssa arrives.”

A chorus of “Yes, my Lord” came from both those on the phone as well as those in the room with him. He was also happy that Sara had questioned him and hoped that news of it would spread, because she had done it the right way. She had been respectful while also making the case for her position. The fact that Nyssa had supported her could be seen as a negative, that he was giving in to his women more so than the logic of their position. If that was the case, he would deal with that when he became aware of it.

With nothing more to be said, the call ended. Sara looked at Sin and al-Qarasina and smiled. This would be a very interesting test of Sin’s stealth, given that the two women would be setting up the cameras all around the warehouse that was their target. They would have to be quick, but also careful, because if the wrong person saw them, then the mission was a failure. The consequences of such a failure were now much higher than any of them had thought at the beginning of the day. Al-Qarasina went over to her computers and did a quick check, finding an electronics store chain that stocked everything that she would need. Making a list of the locations, she then stood back up and wordlessly asked for the keys to the car.

Sara handed the keys over with a smirk. She knew she wasn’t going to be going anywhere, as she needed to take her time and put together the plan. From experience, she knew that Nyssa would pick every part of the plan apart, making sure that everything that could be accounted for was. That was just another reason that she was one of the deadliest warriors in the League. She knew she wasn’t on that level, largely because she’d spent much of her time as Nyssa’s partner and Nyssa preferred to do the planning herself. Still, she had learned a lot just from watching her beloved and she would put it to use now.

January 17, 2016

Central City

Laurel was out enjoying her last day before she started her new job. Cisco had joined her, wanting to spend all the time that he could with her. So, they were walking along the waterfront, taking advantage of the mild weather to just stroll. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done this, thinking that it was probably back when she was dating Oliver. Probably even before she started college, because once that happened, that’s when she started to get really focused on her studies. There wasn’t really time for things like this, between classes, studying and going to parties.

Both Laurel and Cisco were dressed in jeans and sweatshirts, having elected warmth and comfort over fashion. As they walked, they held hands and occasionally exchanged glances. Laurel hadn’t been expecting anything like this when she moved to Central City. Her thoughts had been focused on moving away from her past and all the pain that Starling held for her. At most, her thoughts of the future had been centered on a good job, something where she could help people.

“Laurel Lance?” a voice called from off to the side, one that struck Laurel as somewhat familiar, even if she couldn’t immediately place it. Turning, she saw a brunette wearing a Starling City Rockets cap, a gray sweatshirt and a pair of yoga pants with a fanny pack around her waist. The woman looked to be getting ready to go running, as she was in mid stretch using a park bench for support.

“McKenna Hall,” Laurel said with a smile, walking over to the woman with Cisco following along. “It’s been a while. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing great, thanks. Finished my physical therapy about eighteen months ago.”

“Last I heard, you were living with your sister in Coast City.”

“Yeah, that ended about the same time as my physical therapy,” McKenna said with a smirk. “She was getting serious with a guy and let’s just say that three is definitely a crowd.”

“So, what? You moved to Central City?” Laurel asked.

“No, first I went to Virginia, to the FBI academy. They’re the ones who sent me here. I’m assigned to their Central City office. What about you, though?”

“I just moved here. Things between me and my dad hit a rough spot, plus there were too many memories there. So, I decided to move here, start working for Brown and Chamberlain tomorrow and reconnecting with my mom.”

“And did he move here with you?” McKenna asked.

“No,” Laurel said with a laugh. “This is Cisco Ramone, he works at STAR Labs. We met through mutual friends and just really hit it off, so we started dating.”

“That’s great, Laurel. Look, I don’t want to keep you guys. Why don’t we exchange numbers and we’ll get together sometime and catch up.”

McKenna pulled her phone out of her pack and unlocked it, then handed it over to Laurel. Laurel took a second to enter her contact information, then sent a text to her own phone. Handing it back, she watched McKenna put it away before the pair exchanged a hug. With that, McKenna started jogging away from them before breaking into a run. After watching for a moment, Laurel and Cisco turned to continue on their own way. Just then, a streak of lightning raced past on the road, one that caught the attention of them both.

“Was that Barry?”

“No, that was definitely not Barry,” Cisco said, still seeing the streak of lightening, especially the color of it, the bluish color of it. “I’ve got to get to STAR Labs.”

“And I’m coming with you,” Laurel told him.

Cisco looked like he wanted to argue that, she could tell. But she knew and saw that he realized that arguing right now would waste time. So, he sighed and give a brief nod before walking towards where they had parked her car. Getting in, he waited for Laurel to drive off, staying silent as they made their way to STAR Labs. It was only when they reached their destination that he finally spoke.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, you going in there.”

“Why not, Cisco? Tell me what has you so worried that you would try to stop me from helping.”

“A lot, pretty bird,” Cisco told her. “A lot, too much to go into right now.”

“Did you see it in one of your ‘vibes’? Is that what it is?” Laurel asked, looking for answers.

“No, nothing like that. There are just things happening that have me concerned and I don’t want to see something happen to you because of what is happening now.”

Whatever Laurel was going to say to that was cut short by two things happening. First, the blur of lightning that they had seen by the waterfront rushed past them. Cisco went after it and Laurel followed him as well. When they got to the room Laurel privately thought of as Flash Central, they were greeted by a sight that shocked both of them to the core. There was someone in a black suit, a suit that looked a lot like Barry’s except that the head was entirely covered, except the eyes. But it was what he was holding that was the shocker, because there in his arms was Barry’s limp body, unconscious and badly beaten.

The second thing was the man who was standing next to Caitlin when they came into the room. Laurel had to do a double take, just to make sure that her eyes weren’t deceiving her before she realized that it was Harrison Wells that she was seeing standing there. Harrison Wells, who was supposed to be dead, was standing there. It was only because of Malcolm Merlyn that she was even able to accept it was possible.

“Harrison Wells, you thought you could defeat me with this?” the man in the black suit said as he pulled Barry’s cowl off.

“I made a mistake,” Wells said.

“Yes, a costly one.”

With that, the man in the black suit rammed his hand into Barry, drawing a groan from the hero in red.

“Goodbye, Flash,” the man in the black suit said. “You too weren’t fast enough.”

He was just lifting Barry up to finish him when the sound of an air rifle came, followed by an angered groan from the man in black before he collapsed, dropping Barry to the floor. But he was only down for a moment before he was back up and racing from the room, followed by Harrison Wells. Wells ran right past Laurel barely even seeing her in his panic. Caitlin had rushed over to the fallen Barry.

“Stay with me. Stay with me, Barry,” Caitlin said as she knelt next to him. “Stay with me. Please, Barry, please.”

Laurel came over and stood next to Cisco, looking on as Caitlin attended to their friend. When she looked up, they came beside her and carried him into the medical facility. They helped her get him undressed so that she could begin treating him, as well as determine the full extent of his injuries. Barry was out through all of it, which was both a blessing and a curse for them. He was still unconscious when Laurel had to leave, because she needed to get a good night sleep before she started her new job in the morning. Before she left, she did have Caitlin promise to keep her updated on how Barry was doing.

Leaving, Laurel happened to see Harrison Wells standing in the hallway. She’d never met the man before and decided that now wasn’t the best time for introductions. So, she continued walking to the elevators. What she didn’t see was the look that crossed Wells face when he caught a glimpse of her, the pure revulsion on his face mixed in equal measure with horror. It was only there for a moment before vanishing, as the man from Earth-2 took solace in his belief that Black Siren was still back on his earth, that this was just a doppelganger of the villain he knew. He did wonder why she had been here in the first place and whether she had the same abilities that her Earth-2 counterpart did.

It wasn’t until morning that Barry began to wake up. Cisco and Caitlin were both by his bedside as he did so. Seeing him moving a little, Caitlin got out of her chair and went to his side, her hand lightly resting on his arm. The concerned look on her face began to ease slightly as she looked at the monitor for his vital signs before looking down at him fully.

“Barry. Barry?” Caitlin asked, watching as he slowly came to. “Can you hear me?”

“Hey,” was all Barry said, one soft word that drew relieved chuckles from his friends.

“You scared the crap out of us,” Cisco told him. “You were gone for a long time.”

“How bad is it?”

“Bad,” Caitlin told him. “If you didn’t heal so quickly, I’d be very worried.”

“Zoom?” Barry asked.

“Lets worry about Zoom when you’re up and about, okay?” Cisco said.

Cisco patted Barry on his thigh, a bit of punctuation and comfort rolled into one. But Barry’s reaction wasn’t what either he or Caitlin had expected. Barry began to sit up, causing Caitlin to put her hands on his shoulder and push him back.

“Oh, no, you’re staying put,” Caitlin told him.

“Yeah, seriously. You got your ass kicked.”

Barry wasn’t really paying any attention to either of them. A combination of anxiety and fear was painted all over his face. His hands were on his legs, as he looked down at them.

“No, guys,” Barry told them, his voice weak and hoarse. “I can’t feel my legs. I can’t feel my legs.”

Cisco and Caitlin were both looking at him in shock, as the true toll of Zoom’s attack became clear. Not only had he defeated Barry, then paraded him through the city to show off his victory, but he had also bought himself time by crippling his foe. How much time was anyone’s guess, but they also had no idea what their opponent’s ultimate goal was and that meant they didn’t know how much time he needed. All that they could do right now was take care of their friend.


	40. Gang Aft Agley

January 18, 2016

Starling City

Felicity slapped at the alarm clock when it went off before rolling out of bed. She put on her glasses and looked around her mostly empty bedroom. Only the essentials remained now, after her and her parents had spent the weekend packing things up. The same was true of her spare bedroom and the closet full of clothes there, as well. Boxes had been stacked in there, as would the things she would try to pack tonight as well. She knew she would have to make some time today to start looking online at places to live in Gotham. She would also have to find time to start looking for personal security, given that Diggle had told her on Saturday that he wouldn’t be coming with her to Gotham. She’d been saddened by that, even though she had expected it as well. Lyla and her job were here, which meant that baby Sara was also here and Felicity wasn’t going to even ask her friend to choose between her and his family.

Dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, Felicity left her bedroom and headed for the kitchen. Stopping at the coffee maker, she dropped a k-cup in and started the machine. After that, she dropped two slices of bread into the toaster for breakfast. She had just turned from the toaster when the smell of the coffee reached here and with it a wave of nausea. Rushing to the trashcan, she bent over and threw up what little she had in her stomach from the night before. When she was finished, she threw a baleful look at the machine and the steaming mug sitting in it.

Today was not a day that she could be sick, Felicity thought to herself as she got a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Taking a mouthful, she swished it around before spitting it into the sink. Then, she took her toast and the rest of the bottle out into the living room, settling on her couch. She ate slowly, making sure that her stomach wasn’t going to reject what she was giving it, while taking slow sips of the water as well. Once she was finished, she left the empty bottle and plate on the coffee table before heading to her bathroom and a shower.

Forty-five minutes later and she was ready for the day. She’d decided on a light blue blouse paired with a gray pencil skirt and her black four inch pumps. A little light makeup, pink lipstick, and her hair in its signature ponytail completed the look. A knock came at the door, announcing that Diggle was here. Picking up her purse and her laptop case, she went to the door and opened it.

“Morning, John,” Felicity told him.

“Morning, Felicity,” Diggle replied. “I see you did some packing over the weekend.”

“Yeah, my mom and dad came over and helped with on Saturday and Sunday morning before mom had to fly back to Vegas.”

“And your dad?”

“He’s still at the loft,” Felicity said, knowing that Diggle would understand what she meant without her being more explicit. “He said he has some meetings today and tomorrow, which I hope means that he’s going to be getting one of the jobs he said he applied for.”

Diggle just smiled at her, glad to see that she was a little happier than she had been Saturday night. He had felt bad telling her that he couldn’t go with her to Gotham, even though she had reassured him that it was fine and that she understood. There was a part of him that felt like he was letting her down, this woman who had become like a sister to him. He and Lyla had talked at length about it, with him pushing his wife to leave ARGUS and pointing out that she could find better opportunities in the private sector. Lyla had in turn pointed out that it wasn’t just her that he needed to think about. That there was also Carly and JJ and moving to Gotham would take them across country from them as well. In the end, that had been the tipping point, that his family needed him here.

While he was thinking about all of that, Diggle was also keeping his eyes open as he led Felicity down to the car and opened the rear door for her. As soon as she was seated, she took out her laptop and logged in. She went over her mental list of things she needed to accomplish and decided that finding a place to live would be first. She went and created a custom search algorithm to find her properties that matched what she was looking for. With that running, she started looking up companies in Gotham that provided private security and began deep background searches on them. She definitely wanted that done soon, so that she could have Diggle look them over and help with any interviews. Felicity knew that she would need to be comfortable with whoever she picked, but he would make sure that the person was also well qualified to protect her.

Felicity was so engrossed in her searches that she barely noticed the car coming to a stop. It was only the sound of the car door opening that got her to look up from her screen. Diggle just gave her a smile, because he’d seen this before. He waited while she saved what she was doing, then closed the laptop and put it back in its case. Keeping his eyes moving, he led the way to the elevators and into the one of the executives. Moments later and they were walking into her office, Gerry coming in right behind them with a stack of documents in one hand and a large coffee in the other.

“Good morning, Miss Smoak,” Gerry said as he set the contents of both hands down on the desk. “Your schedule for today is on top, as well as online. There are only three meetings scheduled for today, barring anything coming up at the last minute.”

“Thank you, Gerry,” Felicity told him, as she glanced at the schedule before laying it aside and beginning to start in on the paperwork that awaited her. “Oh, and can you take the coffee away, please?”

Gerry did as she asked, then he and Diggle walked out of the office and took up their respective positions guarding the woman inside. Because that was how Gerry saw his job in part, the guarding of his boss’s time and attention. His job was to make her job easier by taking care of the little things, from making sure her schedule was right to sending people demanding to see her to the proper person to handle what they wanted. It helped that he also liked Miss Smoak, who was undemanding and very easy to work for. He didn’t expect whoever replaced her to be anywhere near that nice, he was just hoping that they wouldn’t be as bad as Miss Rochev had been.

“Good morning, Miss Smoak’s office,” Gerry said as he picked up the phone.

“Good morning. This is Barbara Gordon,” Barbara replied. “Is Miss Smoak free?”

“One moment.”

Placing the call on hold, he buzzed Felicity on the intercom. He looked through the glass wall when she didn’t answer and saw that she appeared to be focused on whatever was currently on her computer. When a second buzz didn’t get a response, Gerry stood up and walked to her office door. Slipping in, he cleared his throat, which caused her to jolt upright.

“Miss Gordon on line two for you, Miss Smoak,” Gerry told her.

“Thank you, Gerry,” Felicity told him as she picked up the phone. “Good morning, Miss Gordon.”

“It’s Barbara, I told you that, Felicity,” Barbara said with a smile that was clear through the phone. “I was just calling to see how things are going?”

Felicity paused at that, not sure how to answer it or the reason for the call. She knew that she and the redhead had bonded a bit at dinner last week, but she hadn’t expected a class from her. Still, her tone wasn’t anything but friendly, so Felicity decided to take the same tone.

“Pretty good. I got a lot of packing done over the weekend. I’ve started looking for a place in the city, as well as hiring some personal security as well.”

“Bodyguard? Don’t worry about it. I’ll drop a whisper in Bruce’s ear and get the files on some available candidates from him.”

“Mr. Wayne has bodyguards?” Felicity asked, because she didn’t remember seeing anyone with them when they had been here.

“No, Bruce rarely uses bodyguards himself, unless there’s a reason,” Barbara told her. “I was more thinking about one of Wayne Enterprises’ subsidiaries, Wayne Security. And since it would take me weeks to get an answer from them, I’ll just get the big boss to make a call.

“Well, that would certainly be a help. That way I can focus all of my attention on finding a place to live.”

“If you want any help with that, someone to take a walk through and give you some eyes on, let me know. I could even wear a camera, so you could get a better look as well.”

“That would be asking too much, I think,” Felicity told her. “I can just come up with a list and look once I get there. A couple of weeks in a hotel….”

“Forget the idea of a hotel, Felicity,” Barbara told her. “Bruce will put you up in one of the Wayne apartments. There are about a dozen in the city for visiting executives to stay in.”

Felicity couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped her at that. Of course someone like Bruce Wayne would have apartments that just sat vacant on the off chance of an executive visiting town that he would need to put up for a few days. Still, it was bound to be nicer than any hotel and the only reason she would need something like that was the seeming rush that Bruce had been in for her to arrive in Gotham. So, she decided to take him up on that, even if she would definitely try to find her own place by the time she moved.

Barbara had heard the laugh and smiled. There was just something about Felicity that appealed to her, something that told her that they could become good friends in time. She wondered what would happen when the blonde genius figured out their secret. She had her suspicions, so did Bruce, but they wouldn’t truly know until it happened. She also was curious to see Felicity meet Dick and Tim as well. She had a mental bet going with herself for how long it would take before Dick tried to flirt with the blonde. She loved him, don’t get her wrong, but the man was a dog.

“My first appointment just walked in, Barbara, so I’ve got to go. Thank you for all the help.”

“I’ll check back with you in a couple of days and if you need anything before then, please call me.”

Felicity hung up the phone then and nodded at Gerry, who was looking into her office from his seat. She took a quick glance at the schedule for the day and stifled a sigh. Based on what she saw, there wasn’t going to be any time today to get online, at least not until she was back at home. Most of it was designed to get as much wrapped up for whoever took her place here as possible. Being tired at the end of the day would be an added bonus, in that it helped her to sleep at night.

January 18, 2016

Vancouver

Nyssa led her contingent of assassins into the safe house. Weather had delayed their flight, so that it was later in the day than she had hoped to arrive. To make up for that, she decided that the others would rest now while she met up with her beloved. She would need time to review the plans that had been made as well as looking over whatever they had uncovered about the warehouse itself. First, she went to the room that she would be using while they were here and found the locked case that held her uniform and weapons.

Unlocking the case, she took a moment to set aside her uniform, as well as her bow, quiver and sword. It was still daylight and she wanted to, if not blend in, then not stand out any more than necessary. She took a set of knives and began secreting them on her person. When that was done, she then took a bag from the case and bundled her uniform and larger weapons inside of it. Now, she was ready to drive over to the other safe house.

It was a relatively short drive to the building Sara and the others were using. Stepping out of the van, she walked to the front door and used a key to unlock it. The van drove off once she stepped inside, as Nyssa closed and locked the door. She then went up the stairs to the floor where the apartment was located. Using another key to unlock that door, she was pleased to see Sara and her student standing there. Both were armed, Sara with her bo broken down into two batons and Sin were her Sai. Behind them, al-Qarasina was sitting at a table, working at a computer with a knife within reach.

“Hello, Beloved,” Nyssa said as she turned back from locking the apartment door. “Ta-er Aswad, it is good to see you again and you as well, al-Qarasina.”

“Nyssa,” Sara replied as she lowered her batons and came forward to share a brief kiss with her love.

“How has the planning gone?”

“Very well. The extra cameras that al-Qarasina installed have given us some much needed information on how many guards there might be, as well as where they are keeping their human cargo. There’s another warehouse two buildings over. We’ve seen a progression of men go over to that building, stay for an hour and then come back.”

Nyssa’s face hardened at that news, having a good idea of what those men would likely be doing to those captive women. She could see in Sara’s eyes that she knew too and a silent vow passed between them that none of the enemy would survive the following day. She walked over to where al-Qarasina sat and looked at what the hacker was working on. One display was broken down into three rows of four pictures, all showing various views of their target.

“Outside security has slowly been increasing,” al-Qarasina told her. “Not enough that the casual observer would readily notice and question it, but when Ta-er al-Sahfer and Ta-er Aswad checked it out, these four positions were all unmanned. Now, there’s somebody there constantly.”

“Do you think that they noticed someone had been inside the warehouse?” Nyssa asked the room. “That they might be setting a trap for us?”

“No. Because when we looked at some of the other cameras focused on giving us a wider view, we saw that this coincided with four large trucks going to the other warehouse we mentioned,” Sara told her. “Based on that, we think that this is standard. They’ve moved their merchandise to the harbor and they’re securing the area for the sale.”

Nyssa took her time and thought about that. It did make sense that security would increase the closer it came to the time for the sale. The buyers weren’t honest and that would be taken into account by the Triad leadership. A double cross was always possible, especially with this much money on the line. So, she picked up the plans for the warehouse and the notes that Sara had made, then carried them over to the couch and settled in to read and review.

At first glance, Nyssa liked what she saw. Nothing overly complicated, yet also flexible enough to account for the unexpected. The key to success would be moving swiftly once they began, so as not to give the Triad or any guards that the buyers may have with them a chance to organize a proper defense. The biggest problem that she could see was one that was unanswerable at the moment. Only when the sale took place would they be able to make more than an educated guess as to how many enemy would be on site.

“Nyssa,” al-Qarasina said, getting her to look up. “There is another truck arriving, but this one is going to the target warehouse.”

Nyssa got up and came back over. Night was starting to fall and part of the docks were descending into shadows. A large door on the warehouse opened as the truck stopped and then began to back up towards the opening. The truck stopped with its tailgate inches from the loading dock of the warehouse. The cargo doors of the truck were opened and a forklift drove into the truck. Moments later, it backed out carrying a medium-sized crate.

“Zoom in on that,” Sara said, her eyes focused on the crate. “And bring up the photos were sent to Nanda Parbat.”

Al-Qarasina did as she was ordered, working the controls for the camera to get as clear and detailed an image as was possible. On another monitor, the photos that Sara had requested were up. She knew the one that the blonde was interested in and quickly selected it from the group. She then focused on the part of the photo that had capture their attention previously, zooming in to enlarge it.

“That’s the crate,” Sin said excitedly, earning a look from both Sara and Nyssa.

“Yes, it is, but the question now is what is in it. Al-Qarasina, those markings. Try searching for their meaning.”

“Got it, Nyssa.”

Nyssa and Sara walked away, going into the kitchen. They each got a cup of coffee, silently enjoying a few moments together. While she was falling more and more in love with her husband, Sara was and always would be her Beloved. She was the first person who had ever looked at Nyssa with love, rather than with wariness for who her father was. A word from Nyssa could mean the end of their lives and she had understood that, even if there had been times she wished things were different. Taking a deep breath, she pushed those thoughts back into their box. There would be time later to think about such things. Right now, she had her duty and she would not fail her husband or herself.

Finishing her coffee, she went back to the couch and resumed studying the plans. She wanted to make sure that their attack tomorrow night would involve a minimum of innocents being injured. As for the Triad scum and their like, death was a mercy she would gladly gift them. She barely registered the fading light, nor Sara going over and turning on the lights in the apartment.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer, I think you should see this,” al-Qarasina called out.

Sara walked over and looked at the monitor, trying to find what had caught the hacker’s attention. Then she saw it and froze. There was a large group of heavily armed men surrounding the warehouse that they were interested it. She had seen their kind before and she cursed loudly, as she grabbed her cell phone. Nyssa came over when her Beloved had cursed and instantly saw the problem.

“Who’s at the safe house, Nyssa?” Sara asked.

“Navid is there,” Nyssa told her, seeing the cell phone and nodding. “Get them all over here, now.”

Sara dialed the phone and waited for Navid to answer. She passed on Nyssa’s orders, telling the man to make sure they were fully prepared, but to make haste. Hanging up, she saw that Nyssa had sent Sin and al-Qarasina from the room and guessed that they were getting into their League uniforms. She ran to her bedroom and quickly changed as well, making sure she had her bo, bow and quiver and a good supply of knives on her before she came back out. She wasn’t surprised to see that Nyssa had changed as well.

Sin had her bow and quiver, her Sai and a copy of Sara’s bo that was broken down into two batons. Al-Qarasina was armed with a bow and quiver along with a katana and a handful of throwing knives. Nyssa looked them over and was pleased. It wasn’t enough for them to attack and defeat the group, she knew, but that wasn’t her plan. No, this would be a delaying action until the other assassins could reach them. She knew that this was Sin’s first mission and that al-Qarasina was also relatively new, so she planned accordingly.

“Ta-er al-Sahfer, you will pair with your student. Al-Qarasina and I will be the other pair. We have two objectives at this time. First, make sure that the crate does not leave that warehouse. Second, make sure they don’t try to kill the women. You and Ta-er Aswad will cover that part.”

“Yes, Nyssa,” the three women said in unison.

With that, Nyssa led the way out of the apartment and up to the roof. Darkness was still falling, but what there was of it would be enough. The four of them moved swiftly, knowing that time was of the essence. The sound of gunfire filled the air and would surely have attracted some attention, meaning that the local police were likely to also be on their way. Once they were near the warehouse, Sara and Sin split off for their objective while Nyssa and al-Qarasina continue onward.

Now, Nyssa could tell that the sound of the gunfire was diminished. As she moved, she kept an eye on the warehouse and could see the bodies of a number of Triad members sprawled out on the pavement. She wasn’t surprised, given what she knew about the group attacking them she had expected nothing less. The Triad were little better than thugs, while these were trained soldiers. A black sedan turned in towards the warehouse, one that was definitely not a police car. She focused on the sedan, knowing that al-Qarasina would keep her apprised of the activity at the warehouse. Nyssa was curious as to who was inside the vehicle, so she shifted her position in the hopes of getting a better look.

The black sedan stopped behind the trucks and the driver quickly got out. The man moved to open the rear door for his passenger, standing at attention as the figure emerged. The man’s back was to her as he surveyed the docks in the distance before turning toward the warehouse and giving the Bride of the Demon her first good look. That one look was more than enough, as she instantly recognized the man and now knew exactly who the attackers belonged to. She recognized the man, as they had crossed paths before, and she knew that he was the leader of Shadowspire. They were not here to stop the Triad from smuggling and human trafficking, if anything they would have actively encouraged it.

So focused was she on what she was seeing that she almost missed the whisper of a footfall. Almost, but not quite, as she spun around, her bow in hand with an arrow knocked. A faint smile crossed Navid’s face as he took in the arrow aimed at his chest momentarily before Nyssa relaxed and lowered the bow. Nyssa could see the rest of the assassins in the shadows behind him.

“Your orders, my Lady,” Navid said softly.

“You three,” Nyssa said, pointing to the ones she wanted. “Join Ta-er al-Sahfer and aid her in freeing the Triad’s prisoners. The rest of us will stop them from whatever they are planning to take.”

“As you command, my Lady.”

With that, the assassins began to move. Like the very shadows themselves, they slipped into the warehouse and began to eliminate the members of their enemy. Nyssa was among them, using her sword and knives. The volume of gunfire increased as the soldiers began firing into the darkness in an effort to hit one of their unseen adversaries. Arrows reached out from the rafters, as well as the dark corners of the warehouse. Yet, a small band of Shadowspire soldiers had the crate that they had come for and were moving it towards where the trucks waited.

Nyssa and the rest of her assassins pressed after them, not knowing what exactly was in that crate but knowing that if Shadowspire wanted it this badly, then it couldn’t be anything good. Nyssa’s focus was on the crate and keeping whatever it contained out of her enemy’s hands. She threw a pair of knives, each impacting into a man’s back with a satisfying thunk.

Just as the Shadowspire soldiers reached the trucks, a flurry of arrows came from outside. These weren’t aimed at the enemy, but rather at the trucks themselves. Nyssa watched with a smile as she saw them impact with the tires of the enemy’s means of escape. The crate was too large for whatever it contained to fit in the sedan, not that it mattered as she watched the sedan pulling away. The last few survivors of the enemy saw this too and made an attempt to surrender. They obviously didn’t know the League, as they would have known that surrender was useless, a message that was quickly conveyed by the swords of the assassins surrounding them.

Sara and Sin came into the warehouse as Nyssa looked for a crowbar with which to open the crate that had so interested their enemy. She wasn’t going to use her sword for the task, even if it might be up to it. Going over to the trucks, she looked in the backs.

“All the women have been freed, Nyssa,” Sara told her. “We don’t have much time, however. By now, someone has called the police, either for them or because of the gunfire.”

“I know, Beloved, but I want to know what was in that crate,” Nyssa replied just as she found a tire iron.

Taking the tire iron, she went to the crate and jammed the end meant for removing hub caps into the gap between the top and the side of the crate. She worked as quickly as she could to get the top loose, then the others helped remove it. In the distance, they could all hear the sound of sirens. Once the top of off, Nyssa and the others could see inside and what they saw froze their blood. She might not be the most technologically gifted, but it didn’t take that to recognize that what was in the crate was a nuclear bomb. How the Triad had gotten their hands on one was the question, as was what Shadowspire had planned to do with it. Nyssa began to regret killing all the members of the Triad and Shadowspire, even though she doubted whether they would have been useful in answering any questions.

For now, she placed the lid back on the crate and directed her men to leave the warehouse. A pair she left in positions to keep watch on the crate until the proper authorities arrived. The last thing she wanted to have happen was for the Triad to slip in and reclaim possession of the bomb. Going back to the apartment where Sara, Sin and al-Qarasina were staying, the four of them watched the monitor with the surveillance feed. Al-Qarasina also worked on hacking her way into the RCMP and Vancouver police systems, monitoring their reactions to what was occurring at the docks. Only when it was evident that the bomb had been secured did Nyssa depart, while Sara and Sin both went to their bedrooms. Al-Qarasina stay up for an hour longer, working on creating the searches that she believed would be necessary to both keep track of the bomb as well as follow the investigations into where it had come from and how it had managed to get into Canada.

When that was done, she turned off the monitors and walking into the bedroom she was sharing with Sin. Undressing, she climbed into bed behind the petite raven haired woman and spooned up against her. She listened to her breathing for a few minutes as it lulled her to sleep, a soft smile on her face.


	41. More Making Plans

January 19, 2016

Vancouver

Sara woke up to the feeling of being wrapped up. For a moment, she thought that she might have tossed and turned in her sleep and gotten tangled in the blankets. This, however, felt different than that, less constrictive. She opened her eyes and found that she was facing the far wall, the morning sun coming through the window into her eyes causing her to squint. She needed to move, either to turn over or get out of bed. Anything to get the sun out of her eyes. Yet, when she tried to move, whatever was holding her tightened its grip and recaptured her attention.

For her part, Nyssa had been awake for about an hour and had chosen to stay in bed holding her Beloved. It had been too long since she had gotten a chance to do this and she intended to make the most of this opportunity. So, she had stayed still when she felt Sara awaken, only tightening her grip when she began to move. Nyssa also leaned her head in and blew out a breath of warm air onto the back of Sara’s neck.

“Good morning, Beloved,” Nyssa said, a smile in her voice.

“Morning, Nyssa,” Sara said with a sigh. Giving Nyssa and Oliver the space that they needed to grow their newly revealed feelings for one another was going to be harder than she expected. Especially if she kept ending up in bed with the beautiful brunette after a mission.

“What is wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that I’ve missed this.”

“I’ve missed it as well, Beloved,” Nyssa told her, pressing a kiss to the back of the blonde’s head. “But you do know that I would welcome this anytime.”

“I know, Nyssa,” Sara replied. “I just think that you and Ollie need some time to yourselves without me in the mix. Time to more fully explore these feelings you’ve confessed to one another.”

“I appreciate that, but not at the expense of making you unhappy. Because, yes, I do love my husband, but I also love you. Those are not mutually exclusive feelings. I also know that he loves you and he loves me too.”

“I know, Nyssa. And I love both of you, as well.”

Nyssa looked at her Beloved, just regarding her as she thought something over. She knew that this situation, if one could call it that, was one of Sara’s own making. Neither her nor Oliver had wanted to exclude Sara from their relationship. After all, hadn’t they brought her back from the dead because they missed her and wanted her in their lives. She also worried that this reflected something she’d seen before within the younger blonde, a propensity to run away when things got hard or complicated.

“Do you think he’d mind if I went and saw my family for a couple of days?” Sara asked as she turned to face Nyssa.

“I doubt it,” Nyssa told her. “And I’m certain Ta-er Aswad would not mind a trip to Starling City, where she could spend more time with al-Qarasina.”

“If she wants to go to Starling, I wouldn’t stop her. But, I was planning to go to Central City and spend a little time with Laurel.”

“And see if your sister remembers what happened on Lian Yu?”

“Maybe,” Sara said softly. “I don’t want to bring it up if she doesn’t remember.”

What Sara didn’t say, because she couldn’t say it, was that she was worried. Not just about Laurel and how to help her if she did remember, but also how helping Laurel face what had been done to her might affect her and the memories of what she had suffered on the Amazo. Because while she hadn’t been raped, the threat of it was always there, in the background. That one day, she would lose the dubious protection that Anthony Ivo had offered her and be left to the mercy of the crew.

Just thinking about the Amazo and Ivo sent a shiver through Sara. She had to close her eyes and breath deeply for a minute in order to center herself. She wondered if there would ever come a time when thinking about that year and how much of herself she’d sacrificed wouldn’t ache. How quickly she’d given in and given up. How she’d felt nothing when she’d helped Ivo trick Ollie into betraying his friends. That was how far she’d fallen from the girl her parents had raised. Sara knew that she would never get the girl back, that girl had died the moment the Amazo had pulled her from the sea.

The feeling of Nyssa’s arms around her reminded Sara of all the things she had gained, as did the light laughter coming from the living room of the apartment. Getting out of bed drew a protest from Nyssa, but Sara was hungry and also needed some coffee. So, she grabbed a t-shirt for the dresser and made her way from the bedroom to the kitchen.

“Morning, Sara,” Sin called from her seat on the couch.

“Morning, Sin. Al-Qarasina,” Sara replied, seeing the pair settled on the couch. “What time are you heading back to Starling City?”

“This afternoon,” al-Qarasina told her. “I’m taking the train.”

“Not flying?”

“Some of what’s in my cases has been known to attract the wrong kind of attention, Ta-er al-Sahfer.”

“Well, I’m going to Central City for a couple of days, Sin. So, you can either tag along with me while I visit my mom and sister or you can go to Starling City,” Sara said.

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go to Starling City.”

“Great,” al-Qarasina said. “We can get you a ticket at the station and you can share my compartment. And you can definitely stay at my place when we get to Starling City.”

“I think I’d like that,” Sin said after a moment, thinking about the condo that she and Sara had in the city. It was nice, but the chance to get to know al-Qarasina better was just more appealing to her. The last couple of days had been nice, especially snuggling up with the brunette hacker. And while they hadn’t had a lot of time to talk and get to know one another, she felt a connection to the other woman. She was curious how it would work, because after Sara got done visiting her family, they would both be going back to Nanda Parbat and al-Qarasina would be staying in Starling.

“Oh, this will be so much fun.”

Sara and Nyssa watched the duo and smiled. Seeing them like that, Sara decided to try and take a little longer in Central City. Or, if worst came to worst, she could always go to Starling City and spend a day or two with her dad as well. She just wanted to give the pair a chance and if something came of it, then who knew. Because, even though she went back to Nanda Parbat with Oliver and the others after Christmas, he had never actually told her that she was no longer in charge of the Shadows in that city. Perhaps she could talk to him about that and see if she and Sin could go there once the rest of Sin’s training was complete.

What Sara didn’t know was that Nyssa was already planning on speaking with her husband about that very thing. The only difference was that she didn’t want her Beloved to be permanently posted away from Nanda Parbat. Because while she loved her husband, she also still loved Sara and wanted to have time with her as well. If she had her way, she’d like to her and her student divide their time between the two. And while it wasn’t the ideal solution, it was better than nothing. Plus, she remembered all of the times she’d been away on long missions and the welcome she’d gotten from her Beloved once she’d returned had always been quite enjoyable.

January 19, 2016

Starling City

Felicity was decidedly grumpy as she walked out of her house and down the steps to where Diggle waited with the car. Once again she’d had to skip her morning coffee as she’d thrown up almost as soon as the familiar aroma of her favorite blend hit her. Instead, she’d ended up with a cup of peppermint tea which had been all she’d had in the cupboard and it certainly didn’t have the kick that she needed to start her day. She made a mental note to see her doctor if this continued before focusing on the day ahead of her.

Diggle held the door open for her, watching his friend closely and not exactly liking what he was seeing. She looked tired to him and he remembered that she had been sick yesterday morning. He hoped that she wasn’t coming down with something. He also knew from experience with Lyla that one doesn’t comment on a woman’s appearing tired, not unless he wanted to get the sharp end of her tongue.

In the back of the car, Felicity once again had her laptop open. Last night had been spent finishing up her packing, then after eating something she’d looked at places in Gotham. She’d actually found three that she’d really liked, based on the pictures and video walk through. Yes, all three were much bigger than she really needed, but she’d decided to plan ahead. So, she was looking for places that had several spare bedrooms for people like her parents or John and Lyla to stay in if they came to visit. She also planned on having a home office, so there had needed to be room for that as well. Two of them also had a panic room, something in light of what had happened last month as well as Gotham’s reputation she found herself liking.

Thinking about the three choices, she wondered if she would take Barbara up on her offer to do a walk through for her. It would be nice to have someone actually there. Pictures, even video, rarely told the whole story. Plus, it would give her someone’s perspective after actually being there, even if it wasn’t her. A ring from her cell phone brought Felicity from her thoughts. Pulling it out of her bag, she frowned at the unfamiliar number before swiping the screen to answer it.

“Hello?” Felicity half asked, half said.

“Miss Smoak, Bruce Wayne here.”

“Good morning, Mister Wayne. How can I help you?”

“It’s Bruce, please,” Bruce told her.

“Only if you call me Felicity. Otherwise, it just feels odd. Like something out of ‘50 Shades of Gray’ or something. Not that I think of you that way or anything, just that it sounds like something that would be in a story like that. Not that I’ve read it or anything. And I will stop rambling in 3, 2, 1,” Felicity said as she finally got control of her runaway mouth, feeling her cheeks flush in mortification at how that must have sounded to her now boss. She cringed waiting for his response, not expecting the huff that sounded like a suppressed laugh.

“OK. Felicity it is. Now, the reason I was calling is I was wondering if you would be able to come to Gotham on Thursday. It would give me a chance to introduce you to some people, show you around. Then, on Friday, there is a gala for the Wayne Foundation that I would like you to attend.”

“Thursday?”

“Well, Wednesday night actually. I would have one of the jets pick you up and fly you here that evening. Thursday morning you could sleep in and we could meet for lunch, then I would take you to Wayne Tower. Lucius especially wants to meet you, has for quite some time now,” Bruce told her.

“Wow!” Felicity exclaimed.

“Lucius is an admirer of yours, Felicity. One of his biggest disappointments was when you chose Queen Consolidated over Wayne Enterprises. And he was the one who suggested that we buy Palmer Technologies, not just for the power cell but also because he saw it as a chance to finally work with you.”

“I have to say that for once in my life I’m virtually speechless.”

“Then just say that you’ll come out,” Bruce said with a smile evident in his voice.

“You do realize that tomorrow is Wednesday, right? And I have absolutely nothing to wear to a gala, especially one thrown for your foundation,” Felicity said, hedging.

“Yes, I understand that. And don’t worry about anything to wear. Barbara and I already spoke about it and she said the two of you can hit the stores Thursday night. Said it would give you a chance to get to know one another better.”

The car pulled into the garage for Palmer Technologies and Diggle parked in her reserved space near the elevators. Closing her laptop, she slipped it into its case and then got out of the car. Knowing that she may lose the call when she got in the elevator, she decided to stop near them to finish the call.

“That does sound like fun. OK, send me the details for the flight and I’ll find a hotel.”

“Nonsense, Felicity. You’ll stay in one of the company’s apartments. Barbara’s actually in the same building and it’s close to Wayne Tower,” Bruce told her.

“Bruce,” Felicity said, ready to protest before remembering what Barbara had told her about the apartments and deciding to let it go. “That will be fine. Just send me the details.”

“Good. Now, Barbara also mention you’ll need a new bodyguard when you move here. I’ve already talked to Wayne Security and will have some information emailed to you. I thought you might want Mister Diggle to look it over and give you his opinion.”

“Thank you, Bruce. I appreciate that very much.”

“My pleasure, Felicity. I’ll see you Thursday,” Bruce told her.

“See you Thursday,” Felicity responded before hanging up the phone and stepping into the waiting elevator.

“So, you’re going to Gotham on Thursday,” Diggle said.

“Bruce wants me to come out and meet some people, then attend a gala for his foundation Friday night. Probably fly back Saturday.”

“Bruce, huh?”

“He told me to call him that,” Felicity said, not even needing to look to see the grin on her friend’s face.

“Just be careful, Felicity,” Diggle replied softly.

“Why?”

“You’ve got the biggest heart of anybody I know and I just worry….”

“That what? I’m going to fall for Bruce Wayne, a man whose playboy reputation is second only to Oliver’s. Nope, not going to happen. Not now, not after Ray. I’ve let myself love three men. One betrayed me, one used my feelings for him and the one who freely returned them was taken from me. And that pain isn’t something that is magically going to go away just because some ridiculously handsome billionaire asks me to call him by his first name,” Felicity told him.

“I know, Felicity. I do. Just do me a favor and guard that heart of yours,” Diggle told her. “I’m probably always going to worry about you. You’re family, you know.”

Felicity turned and gave him a hug just before the elevator doors opened. Pulling away and stepping out onto the executive floor, she walked down to her office. Going inside, she found the desk had a short stack of paperwork sitting in the center. A moment after she was settled into her chair, Gerry came inside with a steaming mug for her. She took the mug and had a small sip, smiling as she tasted the ginger tea.

“Thank you, Gerry.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Smoak,” Gerry told her before turning to leave.

Felicity watched him go, then turned her attention to the stack of paperwork. Taking her time, she read through the documents before signing and placing them in her out tray. She wasn’t at all surprised that Gerry was back in with another pile before she’d finished the stack that had been in front of her. Selecting the next document, she suppressed a sigh. She’d much rather be downstairs working with Curtis on his bio-stimulant or any one of a number of other projects in Applied Sciences. Even better, having the team back together and her hacking into something to find the information that they needed. She simply missed the fun side of the job, where she could use her brain and skills. This, in a way, felt like she was back to being Oliver’s executive assistant all over again.

Thinking about it, she turned to her computer and pulled up her schedule. She needed to find a spot, just a couple of hours or so. Some time where she could go downstairs and dig into something. As she was looking at that, she realized that she hadn’t done anything about Thursday or Friday. Everything scheduled for both of those days would have to be rescheduled. She reached over and picked up the phone to tell Gerry. With that done, she hung up and did sigh, knowing that there was no chance of her getting into a lab this week. When she got back from Gotham, she’d talk to Gerry about making lab time a part of her schedule, she thought before realizing that she would be coming back from Gotham only to turn around a few days later and move there permanently.

That thought led her to remember about the need for a bodyguard. Turning to her computer, she pulled up her email and wasn’t at all surprised to find the message from Bruce Wayne waiting there for her. Opening the attached file, she set it to print and the looked out the glass door of her office. Diggle was where he always was, so she waited a moment and when he looked over at her, she motioned for him to come in.

“Did you need something, Felicity?” Diggle asked.

“Yeah. Bruce sent these over as possible bodyguards for me. And I have almost no idea of what to actually look for in a bodyguard, as you’re the only one I know,” Felicity told him. “So, I was kinda hoping that you would….”

“Look them over for you. Maybe even interview them when we’re in Gotham?”

“Oh, I didn’t even think about you coming to Gotham with me. I figured Bruce would have someone temporary while I was there.”

“Not a chance, Felicity,” Diggle said with a smile. “I already called Lyla and told her. We’re all good.”

Felicity smiled at her friend. She was going to miss him when she moved to Gotham City. She knew that they would try to stay in touch and she would do everything on her end to make sure that happened, but still. She would be on one side of the country and he and his family on the other. It wouldn’t be the same and she couldn’t help feeling the loss.

“What are you and Lyla doing tonight?” Felicity asked, looking at him.

“Probably dinner at home. Why?”

“We should go out, the four of us. Nothing fancy or anything. It’s just I’ll be moving away soon and I’d really like to spend some time with you guys.”

“I’ll let Lyla know. What are you thinking? Big Belly?” Diggle asked her.

“That or maybe some Italian,” Felicity said with a smile, already seeing Sara’s face covered in Spaghetti sauce. Clearly Diggle could see it too, though he didn’t look as delighted at the image as she did. “Though, I’ll almost bet Gotham doesn’t have Big Belly. Maybe I should get my fill now while I can.”

Diggle laughed at that. Many nights had been spent either at Big Belly or bringing it back to the foundry for a late night meal. He could recite her order from memory and he knew that she could do the same for his. That was how close they had become in the last three years. She truly was his sister in all but blood. So, he looked down at the papers that she had handed him and settled into a chair so he could read over them.

Felicity gave Diggle a smile before turning back to her own work. She needed to get as much done today as she could and still be able to leave early. If worst came to worst, she could also take some of this home with her. It wasn’t like she had anything waiting for her at home, which in a way was another reason she’d wanted to go out with her friends tonight. Much better than going home to an empty house.

January 20, 2016

Nanda Parbat

Oliver and Cheshire stood facing one another in the middle of his training room. Each were armed with swords. They slowly began to circle, each looking for an opening to strike. They’d been training for some time, as evidenced by the sweat staining their tunics. But neither was slowed down or tired, something that was proven when Oliver found his opening and aimed a thrust at Cheshire’s throat. It was quickly blocked, but that had been part of his plan. He followed it up with two more high strikes, a pair of slashes towards her left shoulder and head.

Cheshire, however, wasn’t fooled. So, when Oliver suddenly aimed a slash at his right leg, she was able to quickly side step it and pivot into her own attack. A thrust at his thigh was followed by a slash at his hip and then a quick step back to regain distance. Getting too close was the wrong move against her opponent. She stuck to her strengths, her speed and quickness. He was stronger than her and had a longer reach, so she did hit and run tactics.

Oliver smiled, enjoying himself as he trained. Yes, it was hard, even brutal by some standards, but not the League’s. Not his either, not after being trained by Slade. Compared to this, Slade’s training was almost gentle. Of course, thinking of Slade brought up a lot of memories, memories that he needed to tamp down right now. Especially as Cheshire noticed he was slightly distracted and slipped in for another attack, one that he just barely was able to block. He wasn’t, however, able to launch his own attack afterwards. Her next strike actually ended up disarming him as she caught him on the wrist.

“Well done, Cheshire,” Oliver told his heir.

“Only because you became distracted. Otherwise, I think we could have gone longer,” Cheshire replied.

“Probably. But, we do need to get to work at some point and this makes a good stopping point.”

“Indeed. You get to work on paperwork, while I spend some time training Miss Bertinelli.”

“How is she doing now that you and Nyssa broke through to her,” Oliver asked as he went to grab a towel.

“She’s improving. Not as quickly as Sarie and al-Tirsana have, but they also had fewer bad habits to break them of,” Cheshire said.

“In her fighting or in her personality?”

Cheshire just flashed him a grin worthy of her namesake, which was all he needed to see to know that the answer was both. He thought that part of the problem was that Helena was too used to doing things on her own, making her own decisions, being in charge. Here, she was in a place where her wants, her desires and her ideas didn’t really matter. Everything was determined by the will of Ra’s al Ghul, not that of Helena Bertinelli.

As for her fighting skills, from what he remembered, they had been average at best. And given that her primary opponents had been mobsters who mostly relied on guns and threats over actual fighting, it hadn’t matter. He had, however, been surprised that she’d managed to best Sara in their fight inside the court house. He wondered if Sara hadn’t been as focused as she should have been, possibly worrying about her sister being among the hostages more than she should have.

Thinking about that, he also thought about what Nyssa had told him when she’d called yesterday. Sara was going to Central City to visit her family and Sin was going to Starling City while she was there. His wife had hinted that the young girl was getting close to al-Qarasina, which was the main reason she had gone there rather than joining Sara. He didn’t know if that would work out long term, with the hacker in Starling and Sin mostly here or out on missions once she was fully trained, but he had no intention of standing in the way of it.

Giving Cheshire a pat on the shoulder as he walked past her, Oliver went out into the hall. He was going to go to his rooms first and clean up before he went into his office to begin digging through the paperwork that was no doubt awaiting him there. As he walked, he looked into the various training rooms that he passed. In one, he found al-Jabal training Thea and Roy. He stopped in the doorway to watch and see how the pair were progressing now that they had passed their first tests.

Thea and Roy were both blindfolded, facing off against one another. There were no weapons, just hand-to-hand combat for now. Al-Jabal stood with his back to the doorway, focused on the two students. He was watching their composure as well as their movements. He could see that Thea was a little tentative, unsure of herself. Roy, on the other hand, was adapting nicely to not having his sight, as was evidenced when he struck out with a palm strike at Thea’s chest that caught her flush.

“Very good, al-Tirsana. Sarie, focus. Feel the change in the air as his hand pushes it at you, hear his breath exhale as he strikes,” al-Jabal said. “Now, go again.”

With that order, the pair reset themselves. They each moved away, making space as well as not letting the previous attack telegraph where they each were. Oliver smiled as he watched. This time it was Thea who attacked. Roy blocked the knife-edged strike aimed at his neck, as well as the kick that she snapped at his right thigh. He then launched his own attack with a strike at her gut that Thea blocked by catching his wrist and then launching him over her hip in a Judo toss. Roy rolled to his feet just as Thea turned and launched a kick at where he had landed. It missed, but it served to force Roy backwards.

“They are both doing well, my lord.”

Oliver looked at al-Jabal who still hadn’t turned from watching his two students. He’d witnessed the man’s skills on several occasions and never ceased to be impressed. He didn’t know what had given him away, as he’d thought he’d been silent. Now, however, he entered the room and went to stand next to the other man.

“I’m glad that you had time to train them, al-Jabal,” Oliver told him.

“It was your will, my lord. Of course I had the time,” al-Jabal replied with a smile. “Besides, I was the one who tested Sarie. She has fire, that one, as I’m certain you know.”

“Yes, she does. She got that from her mother.”

Both men refocused on the pair of students. They watched another series of attacks and defending before al-Jabal called for a stop, having them remove their blindfolds as well. Oliver smiled as Thea and Roy’s eyes widened at seeing him standing there, letting him know that they hadn’t caught him coming into the room. Al-Jabal also noticed this as well and smiled, knowing what his next training measure would be.

“Please continue their training, al-Jabal. I have my own work to get to,” Oliver said.

“As you command, my lord.”

Oliver turned and left the training room. He made his way to his room and undressed on his way to the shower. Ten minutes later, he was redressed and on his way to his office. When he got there, he settled in behind his desk and began working his way through the pile of reports that had been waiting for him. And while he had gotten used to it, this would likely always be the part of being Ra’s al Ghul that Oliver disliked the most. Yet, he knew that this was as much a part of the role as all of the physical training he did. Because these reports were the means through which he directed the League’s resources, that while vast were not limitless.

Hours later and he was still hard at it. Oliver had taken a break for some lunch, spending the time with Thea and Roy. He’s listened to how their training was going from their perspective and been pleased to find that they were, if not enjoying it, then accepting that it was both necessary and making them better fighters. When he’d come back, it was to find that the pile he had finished had been removed and more reports had been added to the stack he needed to go through. He was reaching for another document when he felt a hand caressing his cheek. He sighed as he caught a familiar scent, one that he was coming to recognize instantly.

“Welcome home, my love,” Oliver said softly.

“Thank you, Husband,” Nyssa said before leaning down for a kiss.

“I had expected you to accompany Sara to Central City.”

“I do not think my presence would have been welcomed by Sara’s mother.”

Oliver had to agree with that. All that Dinah knew about Nyssa was that the dark haired woman had kidnapped her to force her daughter to return to the League and that the League had changed her from the person she knew into someone else. Dinah didn’t know that Nyssa was the one who’d saved Sara, helped keep her alive all of those years she was gone. Nor that Nyssa had done what she had rather than something worse, such as killing Laurel, Dinah and Quentin as a means of forcing her Beloved to return,

Oliver, for his part, wasn’t going to complain about his wife being home. He did miss her when she was gone, something he intended to show her now. So, he put the report back on the pile and stood up. Taking Nyssa’s hand, he lead the way out of his office and back to their rooms. Pulling her inside, he closed and locked the door. Nyssa just smiled as he turned to face her, melting into his arms as he pulled her in for a kiss. Together, they undressed the other as they made their way to the bed, their only plans for the rest of the days being to reunite in the most basic of ways.


	42. Home and Family

January 20, 2016

Central City

Sara smiled as she stepped from the train onto the platform. She’d been the last one to leave Vancouver yesterday, having wanted to spend more time with Nyssa and Sin. So, when it had come time for al-Qarasina’s train to leave for Starling City, the four of them had gone to the station. There, she and Sin had said their goodbyes for the moment. Then, she and Nyssa had spent a couple of hours talking over lunch before the brunette’s flight had left. Sara had dropped her off at the airport before going to drop off the car she’d been using.

The train she’d ended up on had been an overnight trip to Central City. Yet, when she’d looked at flights, she hadn’t been able to find anything that was significantly better. Not to mention, she’d have had to get her gear through security and she had considered the hassle to not be worth it. So, she’d gotten a compartment on the train and had a nice night’s sleep, which had been surprising as the motion of the train reminded her of the Gambit before the storm and the Amazo. She had half expected her nightmares to come back, but they hadn’t.

Walking down the platform, Sara pulled her case behind her. She had a heavy coat on over her sweater and jeans, a pair of black boots on her feet. What the casual observer would have any chance of detecting were the six knives she had on her, not the batons in the coat. She moved with a fluid grace that turned the heads of several men and one lady. She gave the woman a smile and a wink as she went past, but largely ignored the men.

“Still a flirt, I see,” came a familiar voice from in front of her.

“What can I say, I’ve got game,” Sara said with a smirk as she approached the other woman. “I know being married has left you kinda rusty, Patty. But try to keep up.”

“Still the same old Sara, I see.”

The pair shared a hug and a smile before heading on through the station and over to the parking lot. Sara laughed at seeing the obvious unmarked police car sitting there. A part of her remembered the last time she’d ridden in one of these, being hauled home by one of her father’s fellow detectives after she’d been caught under-aged drinking at a party. Come to think of it, the party had been hosted by Oliver and Tommy. She’d have to ask Ollie sometime how much it had cost his parents to make that one go away.

“It’s good to see you, Amina.”

“And you as well, Ta-er al-Sahfer,” Patty told the other blonde.

“How has your mission been going?” Sara asked, curious about her sister.

“Not too badly. Your sister has made friends with Barry Allen and his team. I’m still working on meeting your sister, so much of what I know is from watching from a distance.”

“Well, I’ll be here for a few days. Maybe I can help you with that?”

“I would appreciate it,” Patty told her. “But what would our excuse for knowing one another be?”

“Is there a coffee shop near the train station?” Sara asked.

“Yeah, there’s a Jitters a block from here.”

“There we go. I went to the coffee shop for something to wake me up after the train ride and I bumped into you there. We talked for a while and you offered to give me a ride.”

Patty thought it over and liked it. It was simple as well as easy to remember. No complicated plot to get caught up in, which is how lies were usually uncovered. Basic and believable was always the best choice.

“So, where am I taking you?” Patty asked as she backed out of the space.

“If memory serves, there’s a League safe house downtown. That should do nicely, if no one else is using it,” Sara told her.

“It’s vacant and it’s on the way to the CCPD, so I can drop you there on my way to work.”

It was a few minutes later that Patty pulled the car up in front of a three-story building. Sara got out and collected her suitcase from the trunk before heading inside while the detective drove off. Going to the front door, she took a moment to find what she was looking for and set about retrieving the key for the doors. Not seeing an elevator, which matched with what she remembered, she headed up the stairs to the top floor. There were two apartments on the floor and Sara had to pause for a second before picking out the safe house. Nothing stood out, which was just the way that the League liked things.

Going inside, she locked the door and took a look around. The majority of the apartment was an open floor plan, with the living room and dining room blending seamlessly. Where there were walls was for the bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen was separated from the dining room by an island with a set of bar stools at it. The floors were hardwood and if Sara had to make a guess, the furniture was made to be pushed aside so that whoever was staying here could also train here.

Taking her suitcase into the bedroom, she unpacked her belongings and put everything away. When that was done, she sat down on the edge of the bed and thought about what to do next. Based on the time, she figured Laurel was likely to be at work wherever that might be and so was her mom. So, going out to her mother’s house would have to wait a few hours. She could work out, she decided as she got off the bed and went out into the rest of the apartment. It took her a couple of minutes to push the couch off to the side, but once she did, she had plenty of space.

Sara spent the next two hours exercising. She started with push-ups and sit-ups before moving on to retrieving her weapons and working through a progression of moves. She would have preferred to have someone to spar with, but this was better than nothing. The last thing she did was to check her map and find a place nearby that she could go running. She changed into a heavy sweatshirt, with a T-shirt underneath and put on a pair of sweatpants over her yoga pants before going outside.

When she finally came back, it was the middle of the afternoon. She figured her mom might be home by now and if not she wouldn’t have too long to wait until she was. So, she took a shower, then got dressed in a blue top, blue jeans and black boots. Grabbing her coat and a set of keys hanging by the door on the way out, she went downstairs and out the back. She grinned as she spotted the cover, seeing by the small symbol that she had guessed right. Pulling the cover off, she found a Kawasaki Ninja. Folding the cover, she stored it and then mounted the motorcycle.

Kicking the engine to life, Sara pulled out of the parking space and quickly accelerated into the street. Her blonde hair blew in the breeze as she zipped through traffic. She knew roughly where her mother’s house was, even if it had been a couple of years since she’d been there. Now, it was just a case of finding it again. When she did, she was happy to see two cars in the driveway, one of them her sister’s blue Civic.

Parking in front of the house, Sara took a moment to run her fingers through her hair. Once she felt it was somewhat presentable, she headed up the walkway to the front door. Seeing the house brought a sense of deja vu with it until she realized that the house looked so similar to the house she’d grown up in. She hadn’t noticed it the last time she was here or maybe she had and just didn’t think about it. Now, she took the time to let it sink in, the fact that even after her mother had left she’d still tried to keep a piece of that time. It filled Sara with a sense of regret, that maybe if she hadn’t gotten on the boat with Ollie, she would be walking up to their house in Starling right now. That her mom and dad would still be together, that she and Laurel would still be close. But she also realized that if she hadn’t gone on that trip, she’d never have met Nyssa or Sin, she’d never have become the woman she is without the hardships she’d gone through. And while she would always have regrets, she liked this woman more than the naive, wild girl she’d been before the Gambit.

Stepping onto the porch, she reach out and pressed the doorbell. Taking a step back, she waited, listening to the sound of footsteps coming closer. When the door opened, she smiled in anticipation.

“Hello?” Dinah asked, the word just coming out before her eyes caught up with her mouth and she realized who it was that was standing at her front door. It was her daughter, the daughter that she’d believed was dead for over a year. The daughter that she’d been told had died in Starling City and been buried there. The daughter whose loss she’d grieved, thinking that this time it was for real. Unlike after the Gambit, where she’d continued to believe that Sara was still alive and would someday come home. When her brain was finally able to finish processing what she was seeing, all Dinah could get out was a whispered “Sara?”

“Hi, Mom,” was all Sara could say and it sounded bad even to her ears. Not that it mattered because before she could say or do anything else, she was wrapped in her mother’s arms and the pair of them were hugging as if they would never let go.

“How? When?”

“Laurel didn’t tell you?”

“No, she didn’t,” Dinah said, a little edge to her voice that promised she and her oldest daughter would be talking about this.

“So, I was killed by Malcolm Merlyn,” Sara said, deciding to stick to the most basic explanation and not give all of the details. “He did it to set Oliver up in a fight with the League.”

“The League that you were a member of?”

“Yes. Anyway, Oliver fought the League when he couldn’t hand over my killer. During the course of this, he ended up defeating the League by killing the leader.”

“OK, but that doesn’t explain how you’re here,” Dinah told her as Laurel came into the room and gasped at seeing Sara.

“The League has control of a magical pool of waters, known as the Lazarus Pit. The new leader of the League permitted Nyssa to use the Pit in an attempt to bring me back. It’s a lot more complicated than that, but they were successful, as you can see,” Sara said, seeing Laurel frown over her mother’s shoulder and giving her a glare in return.

“I’m sure it is, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re here.”

“But for how long?” Laurel asked.

“A few days. Then I have to get back.”

“Back?” Dinah asked.

“I’m still a member of the League, Mom,” Sara told her gently. “Ra’s is being generous in allowing me to take time between missions to visit you.”

“Well, I won’t say that I’m happy to hear that. I would have thought you dying for them would have been enough. But the world is seldom all that we wish it was, so we have to learn to accept those things we can not change. Now, I’ll order us some dinner and we’ll spend some time together, the three of us.”

Sara and Laurel both nodded as Dinah left the room and went into the kitchen to find her delivery menus. She figured either Chinese or Pizza would be good and eventually went with the Pizza. As she was ordering, her daughters were just looking at one another, wondering who would go first. Finally, Sara decided to take the plunge.

“How are you doing?”

“That’s what you’re going with? How am I doing?” Laurel asked, giving a bitter little laugh.

“I wanted to check on you before now, but the only time I’ve seen you was at Ray’s funeral and it just seemed like me coming over would have been awkward,” Sara said, watching her sister.

“You know, don’t you?”

The question might have been said in a near whisper, but the tone and the words felt like a shout to both women.

“Yeah. Chase, he um...he recorded it. To send to Oliver, to further taunt him. We just got there before he could send that particular video, but we found it on one of their phones.”

“Oh my God,” Laurel said, her eyes wide as the implication of what Sara had just told her occurred to her. “And there were other videos? Ones that he sent? Oh God, how many people saw….”

“Laurel,” Sara said gently, slowly reaching out her hand but stopping short of touching her sister. “Nyssa and I saw, then took it to Oliver. He saw the first thirty seconds or less, then slammed the phone down. His anger, it scared even Nyssa and you know how little frightens her.”

This got a smile from the lawyer, as she took her sister’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She did know Nyssa and believed that there was very little that frightened the assassin. Her poise, even when confronted with her own death, still stuck with Laurel.

“And what happened to this...Chase?”

“You don’t want to know, Laurel. Even I can’t believe it and I was there. Just know that you’ll never see him again.”

Laurel almost felt like pushing, then she remembered that this was the League of Assassins. They weren’t meek, that was for certain. And while she felt that Oliver would have tempered them, not been willing to go as far as Nyssa’s father might have, it scared her a little that she couldn’t be certain of that. Especially if he was as angry as Sara had made him sound. Then she wondered why he would have been that angry. Certainly, she’d seen him angry before, but for it to be at the level that Sara said it had reached. Then, it hit her and she looked at her sister with wide eyes, yet not sure how or if she should voice the thought that had just come to her.

Sara just watched her sister and could see the moment that she realized what else had happened. Sara wasn’t going to confirm what she thought. Even if she asked, she wouldn’t tell her sister. Because something like that wasn’t something to share. And if her sister tried to push, Sara would ask quietly if Laurel would be alright if the situation was reversed and Sara told Felicity while Laurel was still in the dark.

Luckily for both of them, Dinah came back into the room and settled onto the couch next to Sara. And with that, the conversation turned to talking about more mundane things, like Laurel’s new job and how Dinah’s classes were going so far. For her part, Sara talked a little about her travels, not why she was there but where she’d been and anything interesting she’d seen.

The trio talked through dinner and for a few hours afterward. Finally, Sara got up to leave, knowing that the other two had to work in the morning. She and Laurel made plans to catch lunch tomorrow downtown and Sara would meet her mother for dinner in the evening, while Laurel went to her first self-defense class that evening. At least, Laurel called it a self-defense class, even if Sara was certain it was more than that and was happy her sister was improving her skills before going out on the streets here as Black Canary.

Walking down the walkway from her mother’s house, Sara could feel two sets of eyes on her as she made her way to the motorcycle. So, she turned back towards the house and gave a little wave before pulling out into the night. As she made her way back to the safe house, she wondered how Sin was doing. She’d have to check in with her tomorrow.

January 20, 2016

Starling City

Felicity stretched as she finished her last meeting of the day. To say that the day had been busy was something of an understatement, as Gerry had literally crammed every available minute. On the plus side, everything important was now taken care of before her flight tonight. On the minus side, she’d probably end up sleeping the entire flight, which would be great in terms of fighting off the jet lag that was somewhat inevitable. The problem was, she had wanted some time to be able to look at places to live and she’d planned to use at least part of the flight to do that.

Leaving the conference room, she went into her office and settled behind the desk. Turning to her computer, she logged in and pulled up the files associated with the last meeting. Finding the document that contained her notes, she opened it and spent the next ten minutes updating it with the newest information. She then adjusted her timeline for when the project would be completed. With that done, she closed the document after saving everything. She then put the papers she’d taken to the meeting into their file and placed it in her safe.

Now completely done for the day, Felicity logged off the computer and stood up. She collected her coat, her laptop case and her purse on her way out the door. Diggle was in his usual place and fell into step with her as she headed for the elevators.

“Good night, Ms. Smoak,” Gerry said.

“Good night, Gerry. See you next week,” Felicity replied as the elevator doors opened. She and Diggle stepped inside, taking the elevator all the way down to the parking garage. He led the way over to the car and opened the back door for her. Once she was settled in, he closed the door and then got behind the wheel.

“You’re running a little early, Felicity,” Diggle told her. “Do you still want to go straight to the airport?”

“How early are we?”

“About thirty-five minutes.”

“Big Belly sounds amazing right now,” Felicity said.

“I thought you’d say that,” Diggle said. “And best part is its not far out of our way.”

“Yes!”

Diggle bit back a laugh at hearing the enthusiasm in his friend’s voice. It was something that had mostly been missing since they got back from Lian Yu, understandably. None the less, he definitely missed it and was happy to hear it again. Making a turn, he drove to the Big Belly Burger restaurant that was their usual haunt and pulled in front of it. Felicity didn’t even wait for him to get out of the car before she’d opened her door and started for the entrance. By the time he caught up with her, she was at the counter placing their orders.

The food was quickly up and the pair went to a booth in the back. Diggle sat facing the entrance, doing a quick scan of the room as he sat down. There was only a scattering of customers, none of whom he perceived as a threat. His eye did stop on a pair of women seated at a small table near the windows. The one, a petite raven-haired girl, looked vaguely familiar. He couldn’t place it but he felt like he should know her. Before he could start staring and get noticed, he moved on and hoped that it would come to him if he needed to know.

Diggle couldn’t have been more wrong when he dismissed the pair, as al-Qarasina had noticed the man almost as soon as he walked into the restaurant. She’d certainly noticed Felicity, having recognized her from everything she’d studied before coming to Starling City. She found a certain humor in seeing them here today, as she’d looked at Ms. Smoak’s schedule earlier today and knew that she was leaving tonight to go to Gotham. Her schedule was clear for the next two days, so al-Qarasina didn’t know what she would be doing in Gotham but she guessed that it was related to Wayne Enterprises take over of Palmer Technologies.

Al-Qarasina had spent the morning working, getting caught up on everything after her trip to Vancouver. After that, she and Ta-er Aswad had spent the afternoon partaking in a double feature of popcorn and chatting. That was how she’d learned that the dark haired woman was an orphan who’d been found by Ta-er al-Sahfer and taken under the older woman’s wing. That the pair had formed a bond as close as sisters and that it was her desire to be like her pseudo-sister that had lead her to join the League. Al-Qarasina had explained how she’d gotten started in hacking and then fallen in with Helix. That the League had destroyed the group, but for some reason known only to Ra’s, she had been spared.

By the time they were done talking, Sin had ended up snuggled up against the hacker. She really liked the other woman, despite how different they were. The hacker was more cheerful and fun, while she was more reserved. She was the way she was because of losing her parents and spending so much of her childhood in tough situations. Al-Qarasina had told her she’d had a relatively normal childhood, but her love of computers had left her a sort of outsider in school.

“Where do you see this going?” Sin asked as she looked at the other woman.

“Wherever we’d like it to,” al-Qarasina replied. “I really like you and I think that you like me. So, I hope that we can build something together. And before you say it, I know you’re leaving in a few days. But, if we decide we want this badly enough, we’ll find a way to make it work for us.”

“I’ve just never dated before.”

“As the one with experience then, let me give you a little advice. Just be you, not who you think I want you to be, and listen to your heart.”

“And what if what my heart is telling me scares me?” Sin asked.

“It usually does, especially the first time,” al-Qarasina told her. “Think of it like the first time you trained in hand-to-hand. You were probably scared of getting hit, right? I know I was. But as you go, that fear starts to go away and you realize that you’re enjoying yourself.”

Sin smiled at that, glad that she wasn’t alone in feeling a little fear. But then she realized that it was because she wasn’t the only one who could get hurt if they tried a relationship and it didn’t work out. That al-Qarasina was putting just as much on the line as she was. Her heart swelled at the thought of someone risking themselves in that way for her, a plain girl from the Glades.

“So, does this qualify as our first date?”

“It does. What do you think?”

“I think I like it, but we should have another to be sure,” Sin said with a small grin on her face.

“That can certainly be arranged,” al-Qarasina told her with a matching grin.

Together, the two girls cleaned up the table and took their trash over to the trashcan, adding their tray to the stack on top once they were done. They then walked outside and headed over to where al-Qarasina had parked her car. The older Ford Focus was the perfect kind of bland car for who she was supposed to be. As they walked, they ended up going past an alleyway with the car just ahead of them. Al-Qarasina felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck but she forced herself to keep relaxed as they went past.

“Hey, pretty lady,” came a man’s voice from behind them. “We’re having a party, why don’t you join us.”

“No thanks,” al-Qarasina told him as she took another step away from the alley.

“That wasn’t exactly a suggestion,” came another man’s voice, deeper and laced with menace that was punctuated by the sound of a pair of switchblade knives clicking open.

Sin and al-Qarasina exchanged glances, silently communicating before they turned to face the men. There were five of them standing there, two armed with switchblades, one with a pistol and the last pair had no visible weapons. Those two were working to get behind the pair of assassins, thinking that these two would be easy marks for their pals but wanting to cut off a potential escape route. Sin slowly slid a hand down her side, trying to be casual as she reached back for one of her batons. She was glad that she’d chosen to follow Sara’s example and make sure she was armed with something whenever she was out. She fought back a smile when she noticed that al-Qarasina was doing something similar.

Al-Qarasina had noticed Ta-er Aswad arming herself and approved. She had been prepared to take them on alone, but now she knew her friend would be armed when she entered the coming fight. She keep herself loose as she took a step toward the men, her face a mix of fear and resignation. When she saw the weapons begin to lower, she did smile. That smile was the only warning that any of the men had before the baton she’d selected extended with a snap and she was attacking. She’d picked the man with the gun as her first target, since it was the most potent weapon that her opponents had. Her first blow was to his gun hand, causing him to drop the weapon from his suddenly numb fingers. She followed this up with a backhanded strike using the end of the baton against the man’s throat, taking him out of the fight as he gasped for breath.

When she’d seen her friend attack, Sin was a second behind her. She used her baton to block an attack by one of the knives aimed at al-Qarasina’s side. Knocking him off balance, she followed with a blow aimed at his head, dazing the man. She then aimed a punch to the man’s jaw, which knocked him out. She saw the other woman turn to the other knife wielder, so she turned on the pair that had gotten behind them. Except when she did so, she caught sight of them fleeing down the street. She looked back at the fight and wasn’t surprised to see that the final man was down. Seeing this, she collapsed her baton and put it back away. Al-Qarasina also put her baton away, pausing to kick one of the men in the temple when he started to stir. Then she walked to her car with Sin following. She didn’t like leaving them to eventually get up and walk away, but she also wasn’t prepared to stick around and answer questions from the police, if they even answered a call to come. She could have killed them, she knew, but this close to the restaurant, there was too much of a chance someone came out and saw it.

“Is this what all of our dates are going to be like?” Sin asked, laughing a little as the car pulled away.

“Not enough excitement for you?” al-Qarasina teased back. “I’ll try to make our second date more memorable.”

The pair was still laughing when they got back to al-Qarasina’s safe house. Going inside, they walked upstairs to the bedrooms. When they came to Sin’s room, al-Qarasina made to keep on walking, not wanting to push things if the other woman wasn’t ready. It was when a hand found her arm and stopped her that she turned back. She was a little surprised when the other woman went up on her toes and reach upward, seeking to bring the brunette’s head down.

“Are you sure?”

“Unless you think it’s too soon. Like I said, I don’t have any experience at this sort of thing. But my heart is telling me I should kiss you.”

“Far be it from me to deny you what your heart wants,” al-Qarasina whispered as she moved closer and pressed a kiss to the other woman’s lips. The kiss was chaste, soft and wonderful with both women sighing as it ended. “Good night, beautiful”

“Good night,” Sin said softly before opening the door to her room and going inside. She undressed and then climbed into bed. It took her a while to finally go to sleep as her mind kept replaying the evening and she found herself looking forward to their next date, a soft smile on her face. If she’d had x-ray vision and looked through the walls into the other bedroom, she’d have seen that al-Qarasina was laying in bed wearing a similar smile.


	43. Gotham

January 21, 2016

Gotham City

Diggle looked over with a smile at Felicity. She was still curled up in her seat, the blanket that the stewardess had draped over her keeping her comfortable. When they had boarded the plane, she had settled into her seat and tilted it back. The plane hadn’t even reached its cruising altitude before she’d been asleep. As for himself, Diggle had taken a bottle of water from the stewardess and read through the files that Felicity had received from Wayne Security. He’d already made a couple of choices, but he wanted to make sure that he hadn’t missed anything. After all, the person that he picked would be responsible for protecting the closest thing to a sister he had.

Once he had finished that, he’d titled his own seat back and caught a few hours of sleep. He had awakened when he felt the plane begin its descent. Looking out the window, he had seen dawn breaking over the coast and he could just make out a few lingering stars in the sky. He saw the stewardess come from her seat and waited.

“We’ll be landing in about twenty minutes, Mr. Diggle,” the woman said.

“Thank you,” Diggle told her.

“Mr. Wayne left word that there would be a car waiting for Ms. Smoak and the driver will take you both to the apartment he’s set aside for her stay.”

“I’ll let her know.”

When he looked over, he found that he didn’t need to let her know. Felicity was somewhat awake, as she stretched with a yawn. She then removed the blanket that was covering her, folding it as she did so. The stewardess saw this and collected the blanket from her, then turned and made her way back up front to her seat.

“Good morning,” Felicity said, giving him a smile.

“Morning, Felicity. We should be landing shortly,” Diggle told her.

“I thought I heard that.”

Diggle laughed at that. He brought his chair up into its sitting position, as Felicity did the same with hers. Fastening their seat belts, they wait for the plane to land. Once it was down, Felicity looked out the window and was surprised to find the airport a lot less busy than she would have expected for a major city like Gotham. Then she realized that this must be a private airport, rather than something like Gotham International. As the plane taxied, she could see several other business jets with the Wayne Enterprises logo on their tails. She also spotted a silver Mercedes SUV and a pair of black BMW sedans parked and waiting for the plane.

As the plane taxied into position, two men got out of the front sedan and a man and a woman got out of the rear car. Diggle recognized the woman and one of the men as having been in the information sent by Wayne Security. He smiled at this, as it would give him a chance to observe both of them up close before he made his final decision. He certainly approved of their first impressions, as both of them were doing a sweep of the area. When they were satisfied, a signal was given and the driver’s door to the SUV opened with Alfred stepping out. At the same time, the stewardess opened the door to the aircraft. Alfred walked over, collecting Felicity and Diggle’s luggage from the woman and loading it into the back of the SUV.

Climbing down from the plane, Felicity and Diggle took a moment to look around. In that time, Alfred was at the back door of the SUV, pulling it open. He smiled at them when they finally approached.

“Good morning, Miss Smoak, Mister Diggle. Welcome to Gotham,” Alfred said.

“Good morning, Alfred,” Felicity replied with a smile of her own.

“Master Bruce requested that I take you to the apartment first, to give you a chance to rest and refresh yourselves. Then, when you are ready, bring you to Wayne Enterprises.”

“Thank you, Alfred.”

Felicity and Diggle slid into the rear of the SUV and Alfred closed the door. Once he was behind the wheel, he put the vehicle in drive and the procession left the airport. As they drove, Diggle paid attention to the lead and chase cars, watching as they kept perfect station. Felicity, on the other hand, already had her tablet out and was working on her list of apartments. She figured if she and Bruce were meeting today, she could use tomorrow morning to go and see them. So, she picked two out that she liked best and scheduled a time. She knew she would also need to make time to go shopping with Barbara for something to wear to the Wayne Foundation Gala.

“Is this level of security normal, Alfred?” Diggle asked.

“No, Sir. Master Bruce decided that this would be a good chance to let you see some of the people he requested as potential bodyguards for Miss Smoak and they were going to be training today, so he simply folded this into their training,” Alfred replied.

Diggle considered that for a moment. Were the people he’d been sent the trainers or the trainees? Then he thought about what he’d seen, how at ease they had seemed. No, they were the trainers, it was the other two that were the trainees. With that, he returned to watching, not just them but also the city itself as they came into it. For all of the fearsome reputation that the city had, it didn’t look much different that Starling City did. A little grittier, perhaps, but not the huge contrast that Starling City was when compared to Central City or Metropolis.

Felicity finished her work and put the tablet away. Now, she was just looking out at the city that would be her new home. She could see Wayne Tower in the distance, growing larger as they approached it. Soon, they were pulling into a parking garage and Alfred was parking in a reserved spot near the elevators. The security team did a repeat of the airport, then Alfred opened the door and his passengers stepped out. Alfred retrieved their luggage and then led the way to the elevators.

“The entire floors is apartments owned by Wayne Enterprises. The only one permanently occupied is Miss Gordon’s,” Alfred told them as the elevator took them up to the top floor.

When the doors of the elevator opened onto the floor, they found a pair of people in the middle of the hallway. Or, more accurately, a man in the hallway and Barbara in the doorway to her apartment. Alfred let out a sigh at the sight, one filled with suffering.

“Come on, Babs. We go to the Gala together and then, we can hit the clubs,” the man said.

“I told you, I have other plans tomorrow night,” Barbara said smoothly. “And she just arrived.”

The man spun around and saw the group standing there. His attention was instantly focused on Felicity and a smile lit his face as he approached. Both Diggle and Felicity looked at him and then side eyed each other, the look almost telegraphing what they were both thinking: Tommy Merlyn.

“Well, hello. And who might you be?”

“Not interested,” Felicity said in a perfectly deadpan voice as she stepped around the man and walked over to Barbara, leaning down to give the redhead a hug which was returned.

“Sorry about him, Felicity. If I had known he’d be here when you arrived, I’d have made sure to have him on his leash,” Barbara told her with a smirk, one that got wider when she heard Dick’s “Hey!” from down the hall. “But, you’d probably run into him tomorrow anyways, so this might have been better. Felicity Smoak, that is Dick Grayson.”

“Nice to meet you,” Felicity said as she turned to face him and was again greeted with a cocky grin.

“You as well, Felicity,” Dick said before stepping into the elevator.

“So, boyfriend?”

“Once upon a time, before things changed. Now we’re just good friends, though maybe someday….”

Felicity smiled at the wistfulness in the redheaded woman’s voice. She remembered feeling the same way about Oliver, wishing for that someday. And then, when they’d almost had it fate had intervened and pushed them apart again. But that had led her to Ray and she wouldn’t trade what they’d had for all the maybes and could haves in the world. Though, just thinking about Ray threatened to bring her to tears, as she tried to quickly think of something else.

“I’m surprised that you’re home,” Felicity said, as she had expected the redhead to be a work.

“I’m waiting for you,” Barbara said with a smile. “I’ll be in your first meeting today, so I told Bruce that I would accompany you in and make sure you got where you’re going.”

“Thanks, Barbara. Now, how much time do we have before we need to leave?”

“A couple of hours, though if you want to go early, I can show you your new office.”

“That would be great. Just let me take a quick shower and change, then we can go. Though, which apartment am I staying in?” Felicity asked.

“That would be this one, Miss Smoak,” Alfred replied from an open doorway. “I took the liberty of putting your suitcase in your bedroom and Mister Diggle’s in his. The kitchen is stocked if you decide to eat in tonight.”

“Not going to happen, Alfred. Felicity and I will be going shopping tonight,” Barbara said. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure we eat. That kind of exercise requires fuel.”

“Indeed.”

Barbara and Felicity exchanged a wide smile at the way Alfred had said that. Then, Felicity went into the apartment and looked in the bedroom to find her case. Opening the suitcase, she removed clean underwear and an orange dress with red and yellow accents. She found the pair of shoes that went with the dress and laid them on the bed as well. She undressed and headed into the attached bathroom.

Thirty minutes later and she was ready to leave. Diggle had also taken a quick shower, though his suit looked largely the same as what he’d worn on the plane. Looking into the kitchen, she saw a coffee maker but didn’t want to tempt fate. So, she bottle of water from the fridge and drank some of that. Heading out the door, she went to Barbara’s apartment and knocked.

“Oh, those poor guys,” Barbara said when she took in Felicity.

“What? Why?” Felicity asked, surprised.

“They’re not going to know what hit them when you walk in the room. I’m just glad you weren’t wearing that while Dick was here or I don’t think we’d ever have gotten him to leave.”

Felicity laughed at that, not knowing how close to the truth Barbara was. The dress fit like a glove and those heels did things to her legs that Barbara could only envy. The redhead knew she looked good, but even before she’d been paralyzed, her legs and butt had never looked that good. Which is why she was positive that more than a few of the male employees of Wayne Enterprises were going to be drooling messes before the day was over. The only two that she was certain wouldn’t be were Bruce and Lucius. She was looking forward to watching this.

They were still laughing as they went to the elevator with Alfred and Diggle behind them. When the doors opened, Barbara got in first and spun her chair around, then the others joined her. When they reached the lower level, they got out and then she wheeled out behind them. Alfred opened the door to the parking garage, where the four bodyguards were all standing by. When they say her, one of the men started to step forward only to be waved off by Diggle. He’d guessed what they were going to do, so when Barbara wheeled up to the SUV, he came up beside her and waited.

“Ah, so that why Anthony didn’t come over,” Barbara said, looking over her shoulder at him. “You were looking for a workout, weren’t you Mister Diggle?”

“You caught me, Miss Gordon,” Diggle teased her back as he squatted down and took hold of her. Lifting with his legs, he stepped around the wheelchair and carefully lowered her onto the back seat.

“Thank you.”

“Not a problem.”

Diggle took the wheelchair to the back of the SUV, where Alfred loaded it. Felicity had already taken the other seat in the back, so he went to the front passenger seat and climbed in. Once the wheelchair was loaded, Alfred took his place behind the steering wheel and backed out of the parking space, the two cars forming up on them before they reached the exit ramp. The drive to Wayne Tower was relatively short, only made longer by the traffic on the streets. The parking garage was almost full they saw as Alfred drove through, with only one spot left on the first level. It wasn’t until Alfred pulled into it that Felicity realized that it was a reserved parking spot, her reserved spot if the sign was anything to go by.

Climbing out of the car, she stood there in awe for a moment. She couldn’t help staring at the black and white placard with the Wayne Enterprises logo on it and her name in capital letters. Then, she looked to the side and saw one for Lucius Fox and then Bruce Wayne. Lucius’ car was a relatively modest four door sedan, while Bruce’s was an outrageous sports car of some kind.

“What can I say, boys and their toys,” Barbara said from where she was sitting at the back of the SUV.

“Looking at that, you have to wonder if he’s compensating for something. Not that I would expect you to know or anything and oh my God, I just said that my boss has a problem...” Felicity sputter out as she heard Diggle and Barbara laughing. Even Alfred seemed to have a smile on his face, which helped a little but certainly didn’t keep her from blushing and cursing her lack of brain to mouth filter.

“Oh, you are going to be so much fun. I just need to get you to unleash one of those on Dick and guaranteed peace for at least two weeks.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re amused. The problem is these seem to happen at the worst possible time, rather than as something I can unleash on demand.”

“Fine, fine, I won’t ask then. But, let’s go inside and I’ll saw you around. First stop, your new office,” Barbara said as she wheeled over to the door, the rest of the group following her. Two of the four bodyguards were waiting at the entrance to Wayne Tower. Diggle watched them and approved of the fact that they didn’t open the doors for Barbara, but rather kept their hands free. If something were to happen, that would mean that they could go for a weapon that much quicker. When the doors did open, the man stepped into the lobby first while the female bodyguard hung back in a move that made perfect sense to him. The group made their way to the security desk, where the guard was waiting with a smile.

“Good morning, Miss Gordon,” the man said.

“Good morning, Ted. This is Miss Felicity Smoak, the new Vice President of Wayne Tech and board member of Wayne Enterprises. She’ll need a badge for herself and for Mister Diggle, her bodyguard.”

“Already taken care of. Mister Wayne left word this morning. I’ll just need to see your driver’s licenses or other identification and have you sign in. The badge for Mister Diggle is temporary and will need to be turned in by the end of business on Friday. Your badge, Miss Smoak, is permanent.”

“Thank you, Ted,” Felicity said as she took her driver’s license out and handed it to the man. A moment later and he had scanned it into the system, handing it back along with her Wayne Enterprises badge. Diggle followed suit and once he had his badge, Barbara led them over to the elevators.

“Let me see your badge, Felicity,” Barbara said as she stopped in front of one of the elevators. When Felicity handed it over, Barbara passed it over a scanner. A moment later, they could all hear the sound of an elevator coming down. Barbara handed the badge back with a smile. “Nice to know that works.”

“What works?” Felicity asked.

“This is the executive elevator. It only goes to floors 40 and up, which is where the executives offices are, along with the executive dining room, conference rooms and the board room. The other elevators also can go to those floors, but they serve all the floors in the building. Mr. Earle had this installed, saying that he didn’t have time to wait for twenty people to get to where they were going before he got to his office.”

“What a pompous asshole.”

“Well, he’s no longer here. Bruce got rid of him as soon as he was able and made Lucius his right hand man. Probably two of the best decisions ever,” Barbara told her as the elevator doors opened. Barbara turned to go in, only to stop dead as she saw Bruce and Lucius standing in the elevator car.

“Trying to sneak her in, Barbara?” Bruce asked, the tease evident in his voice.

“I was going to show her her office before bringing her up to you.”

“And then we foiled your plot by having Ted call up to us as soon as he saw you arrive,” Lucius said before turning to Felicity. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Smoak.”

“Believe me, the pleasure is all mine. I mean, you’re Lucius Fox, an absolute genius. When I was at MIT, I did one of my research projects on your career. I hoped that it might serve as inspiration for my future,” Felicity replied, looking at the man in something close to awe.

“Thank you, Miss Smoak. I have you say I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. The firewalls you designed for Queen Consolidated were next level.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, why don’t we go up and see your new office, then we’ll go on to Bruce’s office and talk for a while. After lunch, we’ll show you around. And while we’re doing that, Mister Diggle can interview the people we sent over as possible bodyguards for you,” Lucius said. “I promise we won’t be leaving the building.”

Diggle and Felicity exchanged a brief look before he nodded at her. Not that she was afraid of anything happening, thinking that this was Wayne Enterprises, her employer. But then she remembered what had happened at Queen Consolidated with the Hoods and she remembered that no place was really safe, even if that attack was brought on by the fact that Moira Queen had been partially responsible for over five hundred deaths.

“Miss Montoya will show you to Security, where the others are waiting and an office has been set aside for your use.”

“I’ll see you later, Felicity,” Diggle said before following the woman down the hall and turning the corner.

“Shall we?” Lucius said to Felicity, who noticed that Bruce and Barbara were already in the elevator. She turned and got in, followed by Lucius. Once he was in, he pressed the button for forty-two and the elevator doors closed. The elevator moved quickly upwards and what felt like seconds later, the doors were opening onto the forty-second floor. Lucius and Felicity stepped out first, followed by Bruce and then Barbara.

The walls were the first thing that got Felicity’s attention. The lower half was wood, she thought oak perhaps. Whatever the wood was, it was beautiful. Slightly dark, but not too dark, and polished to a mirror-like shine. The upper half was butterscotch color which contrasted nicely, in her opinion, with the wood. This wasn’t the glass walls and dark green that she’d lived with at Queen Consolidated or Palmer Technologies blue colors. This spoke of history and elegance, even of permanence. A desk sat facing the elevators, with a young black woman sitting behind it.

“Good morning, Mister Wayne, Mister Fox,” the woman said.

“Good morning, Tam,” Bruce said with a smile. “This is Felicity Smoak, the new Vice President of Wayne Tech. She’ll be here today and tomorrow for a few meetings. Felicity, this is Lucius’ daughter Tam. She’s going to Gotham University and works here in the mornings.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tam,” Felicity told the young woman, holding out her hand.

“And you, Miss Smoak. Dad has been crowing about the fact that you were finally joining the company. In fact, I haven’t seen him this pleased….”

“Tam!” Lucius scolded her, though to Felicity it didn’t really sound like his heart was in it. “I will have you know that I did not crow about it. I was pleased, naturally. Miss Smoak is a genius and I expect her and her ideas to lead to a great many inventions.”

“And he voiced that pleasure repeatedly to Mom, Luke and myself. I think he’d have taken out a billboard or two welcoming you to Gotham if he could have found a way to hide the expense.”

And that did it, as both Barbara and Felicity started laughing, which got a smile from Tam. Lucius just shook his head at his daughter, a long suffering look on his face. Bruce was fighting a laugh of his own, something that was rare for him, the urge to laugh.

“If this is the way all my days start, I think I’m going to enjoy working here.”

“I can’t promise that, Miss Smoak,” Tam said. “But I do promise to try.”

“Now, where is my office from here?” Felicity asked.

“This way, Felicity,” Barbara said, wheeling down to the end of the elevator lobby and turning the corner. Three doors down, she stopped and opened a door. Felicity followed Barbara inside and gasped. The office was bigger than her one at Palmer Technologies. The space directly in front of the door was occupied by a couch and two arm chairs. Turning to the right, she found a small conference table with seats for eight and at the far end of the room was large desk situated so that the computer monitor faced away from the rest of the room. There was a large office chair behind the desk, one that just looked comfortable.

“So, what do you think, Felicity?” Bruce asked from behind her, getting her to jump a little as she’d forgotten that he and Lucius were behind her. In fact, looking at this office had made her forget just about everything.

“This is perfect. Actually better than perfect, if that’s possible. And the view of the city.”

“Glad you like it, Felicity. Now, are you ready to come upstairs.”

“Let’s go,” Felicity said, taking one last look at her new office and grinning to herself.

The next five hours were spent with Bruce and Lucius talking about Wayne Tech as well as her meeting key people in the company, such as the heads of HR and PR, her chief deputies and a handful of others. It has been something of a whirlwind and she was certain she’d be lucky to remember one or two of them. In between, they had gone up to the executive dining room and had lunch. They’d also talked about things not related to work, such as the Gala tomorrow night. She’d found it funny hearing the disappointment in Lucius’ voice when he’d told them that Tam would be attending with someone named Tim. If she had to guess, she would bet it was a boyfriend that the young woman’s father didn’t approve of. What puzzled her were the smiles on Bruce and Barbara’s faces until she figured out that they knew who Tim was.

When the last of the meetings for the day were done, Felicity was barely able to stifle a groan. All she wanted to do right now was go back to the apartment and collapse, but she remembered that her and Barbara were going shopping next. She knew she needed to get a dress for the Gala, but she figured that that would be a couple hours of looking through racks and racks of dresses to find something she liked. How she wished she’d brought the dress Ray had gotten her, that might have been good for the Gala and she really liked that dress.

“Why don’t we go back to my place and eat,” Barbara said, seeing the look on the other woman’s face. “Give you a little time to recover and then we’ll hit the boutiques.”

“You read my mind. My brain is in overload right now from all the information,” Felicity replied. “But will we have enough time if we do that? Won’t the stores be closing, especially if I can’t find anything at the first one. I won’t have time to go tomorrow if I want to sees some of the places I selected.”

“It’ll be fine, I promise.”

What Barbara didn’t tell Felicity was that the reason it would be fine was because the places that they were going were owned by Wayne Enterprises. Bruce had already called the store managers and let them know. They and their employees were all on standby tonight until she reported that a dress had been found. The employees had barely grumbled at have their evenings disrupted, as similar calls had come in the past and they were always well compensated for staying. So, they could take their time over dinner and then hit the shops when Felicity was ready.


	44. Some Bonding Time

January 21, 2016

Central City

Patty Spivot walked into Jitters, looking at her phone. Not seeing anything important in her text messages, she put the phone away and walked up to the counter. The coffee shop wasn’t crowded, but it was that in-between time of day where the morning traffic had ended but the lunch crowd hadn’t really started yet. She decided on a large black coffee and a turkey wrap. Once she had her order, she turned and spotted Sara sitting at a table, a steaming mug in front of her. So, she walked over.

“It’s Sara, isn’t it?” Patty asked, putting on the air of barely knowing the other woman.

“Yeah,” Sara replied, looking up. “And you’re Patty, right? Nice seeing you again, but now I’m wondering if you live in coffee shops.”

“Well, I’m a police detective and most of us live on caffeine.”

Sara laughed at that, thinking about her own father. The man she remembered had been like that in some way, though he’d also been driven by his love of the job as well. Then she started to frown, as she recalled that after she’d been lost at sea, her father had also crawled into a bottle as well. She’d seen her sister’s struggle with alcoholism and knew that Laurel had been the one forced to deal with their father’s. Both could be laid, to one degree or another, at Sara’s feet. Before she could go down that road, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Looking at Patty, she could tell that the other woman knew that she’d lost Sara’s attention for a moment. Yet, she didn’t say anything about it, just sat and waited.

“Why don’t you join me. I’m just waiting for my sister to arrive, but that will be a few minutes.”

“Sounds good to me,” Patty said as she took the chair next to Sara, putting her back against the wall as she did so. “So, you’re here visiting?”

“For a few days,” Sara told her. “It’s been a couple of months since I’ve seen my sister and even longer since I’ve spent time with my mother.”

“I know the feeling. My mom and I talk on the phone, but its been a while since I’ve actually made time to visit her. I regret not seeing her more often.”

“You should try to find time to go and see her. Trust me, I’m something of an expert when it comes to having regrets regarding family.”

“She’s not lying about that,” Laurel said from behind Sara, getting the two women to start slightly. Not because they were surprised that she was there, but because they each knew that the other woman was expecting some kind of reaction. Sara then stood up and gave her sister a hug. “Which regrets are we talking about today?”

“How little time I’ve spent with you, Mom and Dad recently,” Sara told her before seeing Laurel looking at Patty, clearing wondering who the other woman was and why Sara was sitting here talking to her. “Oh, sorry. Laurel, this is Patty. She and I met yesterday when I stopped at this coffee shop by the train station. Patty, this is my sister, Laurel.”

“Nice to meet you, Patty. Funny that you ran into my sister twice in two days at a coffee shop.”

“Well, like I told your sister, I live on caffeine,” Patty said with a laugh. Seeing Laurel’s look, she explained. “I’m a police detective. Besides, the coffee here is way better than what’s in the pot back at the station. Honestly, I think I was still in high school the last time they changed the filter.”

Laurel and Sara laughed at that. Laurel sat down and settled in. The trio sat in silence for a few moments, while Patty ate her wrap and they waited for Laurel’s order to be brought over. Sara was trying to figure out where to start her conversation with her sister, what would be a safe topic.

“What time’s your class tonight, Laurel?”

“It’s at seven. The instructor has good reviews, so hopefully he can help me,” Laurel said.

“What kind of class are you taking?”

“It’s a self-defense class. I know Central City isn’t as bad as Starling City is, but after the last few months I don’t ever want to be helpless. So, I found a class here.”

“Could you let me know if its any good?” Patty asked, drawing a look from Laurel. “Hey, I know I’m a police officer and I’ve had training, but every little bit helps. Plus, I can always pass it on to some of the women I encounter who are dealing with an abusive spouse.”

“Sure,” Laurel told her, pulling out her phone. “Just give me your number and I’ll send you a text after class.”

Patty reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out one of her business cards, handing it over to Laurel. As she did so, she felt her phone vibrate and sighed. Taking it out, she found a text from another member of the task force. She frowned as she read it, as there hadn’t been a sighting of the Flash in days, nor of the man in black that had beaten him. Patty wondered where he was, because she knew that there were things out there that the police were not equipped to handle. Picking up her coffee, she finished it off before standing.

“It was nice meeting you, Laurel. And Sara, I hope I see you again before you leave.”

“Nice meeting you too, Patty.”

With that, the detective turned and walked out of the coffee shop. The Lance sisters watched her go before Sara turned to face her sister. A barista came over with Laurel’s sandwich and cappuccino, which Laurel immediately started attacking. Sara smirked watching her sister devour the sandwich, never having seen her sister eat like this before.

“Hungry, Laurel?”

“Something like that,” Laurel said looking downward.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Sara asked, concerned about her sister. “I know you ate breakfast this morning.”

“I’m a meta-human, Sara. And because of that, I have to take in more calories than a normal person.”

“I don’t understand. What exactly is a meta-human?”

“OK, so you know about the Flash, right?” Laurel asked, watching as Sara nodded. “He’s a meta-human, which is how he got his abilities, his speed.”

“So, you’re saying you’re fast like him?” Sara asked.

“No, I’m not. My ability is a sonic scream, what the people helping me with all of this call my Canary Cry.”

Sara laughed at that, thinking about how on the nose that name was. She also remembered how much her sister had complained about her canary’s singing when they were kids. That led to her thinking about after the Gambit, when she’d been floating on that piece of wreckage for days, so hungry and thirsty. And then, she’d seen that bird land on the wreckage beside her. To this day she still wasn’t sure if it was real or a hallucination brought on by her thirst. Either way, that bird, that canary had given her a measure of hope. Hope that she was near land, near salvation. Instead, it had been the Amazo that had found her and what had followed wasn’t salvation, but rather damnation.

When she had been found by Nyssa and taken to Nanda Parbat, she’d already done too much to want to return home. Yet, for whatever reason, when it came time for her new name, she had still chosen something that reminded her of home. Nyssa had naturally asked about the meaning of her new name and Sara had lied to her. She’d told her about seeing the canary on the wreckage, that she’d taken it as a sign and that she wanted to honor that. She couldn’t tell her the truth, that she chose it to have something to remember her family by. Because if Ra’s had found that out, he would have put her back through her indoctrination and Sara doubted that she would have remembered her own name after that, let alone her family.

“Are you OK, Sara?” Laurel asked, looking at her sister in concern.

“Yeah, just remembering when Dad got me that canary. I think if he’d known how much noise it would make, he’d never have bought it.”

“No, I think he still would have, because it made you happy. That’s all he ever wanted, just to make you happy.”

“Yeah,” Sara said with a smile. “So, besides the new job, what else is new?”

“Not much,” Laurel said, blushing a little. “I’ve started dating someone.”

“Someone here? That’s great, Laurel.”

“Yeah, he’s kind of a friend of a friend and when we met it just seemed like we clicked.”

Sara was really happy for her sister. She knew what Tommy’s death had done to her, especially the fact that he had died to save her. And while she hadn’t been there to witness the immediate aftermath, she’d seen enough once she was in Starling to know how badly her sister had struggled. So, for her to open up and start dating again was great to see. She would have to figure out who this person was, of course, and look into them. She wasn’t going to let her sister get hurt again, if she could help it.

Laurel looked at her phone and sighed. She would need to go soon, so that she could get back to her office on time. She had a new case that she needed to start working on, but she wished for a little more time with her sister. While they weren’t as close as they’d once been, they were still family and she missed her. Plus, after losing her twice for what she’d believed was forever, she wasn’t prepared to take anything for granted. She remembered what she’d told Sara when she’d left to go back to the League. ‘If there’s anything I’ve learned this year it’s that you always find your way home.’ Looking back on what happened, she couldn’t help thinking about how right that had been and how wrong.

Finishing the last of the drink, Laurel gathered up her trash. She stood and took it over to the trashcan, stacking her tray on top of the few others there. Her cup and plate went into the dirty dish tub, while the paper products went into the trash. When she came back to the table to retrieve her purse, Sara was standing as well. The pair exchanged a hug, then Laurel walked out of the coffee shop while Sara went up to the counter for a refill on her coffee and a piece of their chocolate cake. Any calories from that would be burned off when she worked out later.

January 21, 2016

Nanda Parbat

The sound of bokken clashing filled the room. Four assassins were engaged in training, with three of them attacking one. The man moved gracefully, never leaving an opening that his opponents could exploit without opening themselves up for his counterattack. He watched one of them getting frustrated with the lack of success, while the other two were more calm, more patient. When she attacked, he took advantage of her increased aggression and desperation. A quick block of the sword was rapidly followed by a strike to the hip and then a sword to the neck, stopping just centimeters from her skin.

“Dead,” came a voice from the far wall and the woman stepped out, leaving the fight to now two on one. She went over to where the person who had spoken was and sat down on the floor.

The pair that remained continued the fight against the man. They seemed to work in unison, each feeding off the other. They even began to attack together, trying to trap their opponent. Looking at him, even though all that could be seen were his eyes, and it was easy to tell that he was enjoying himself. And he was definitely happy, seeing how far the pair had come in less than a month. There would be more training, because there was always room for improvement as well as learning something new. But he was satisfied that they were ready.

Having come to that decision, he increased his speed and soon found the opening he was looking for. Slipping through a crack in their attack, he quickly disarmed one of the opponents. Taking the bokken, he held it to her throat while pivoting for a thrust at the other attacker. This caught the man in the chest, just about where the heart was.

“Dead and dead,” came the voice again. With that call, the trio stopped and removed their hoods and face coverings, revealing Oliver, Thea and Roy. Looking over to the wall, they saw Nyssa standing there, while Helena sat on the floor, looking a little dejected.

“Well done, all of you,” Oliver said as he handed Thea back her bokken. “Sarie and al-Tirsana are ready, I think. What do you think, my Bride?”

“Indeed, Husband. I think that are ready. I also think that al-Siyada is ready to be tested.”

Oliver looked at Helena. He could see the curiosity in her eyes, as she had never heard that name before, even if it was apparent that they were talking about her. He too felt that she was ready for her first tests. She’d come a long way since she’d lost the attitude she’d started with. Cheshire had been giving him good reports on her training, as had Nyssa. He would make sure that whoever was the one to test her pushed her hard, to make sure that the changes in the former Mafia princess were real.

“I agree and will let Cheshire know, so she can find someone to do the testing. Al-Siyada, you are excused. The rest of the afternoon is yours, enjoy it.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Helena said as she rose and bowed to Oliver. She then left the room.

“And when do you leave?” Oliver asked Nyssa.

“They will leave tonight,” Nyssa said. “With al-Jabal.”

Oliver took a moment and looked at the man standing next to Nyssa. He knew that al-Jabal had taken over most of Thea and Roy’s training this week. Cheshire had told him that their training was going very well, better than almost any recruit he had trained before. He also knew that neither Nyssa nor Cheshire would be approving this if they were not confident that the pair were ready. So, he pushed down his desire to protect them, remembering that he could not treat them any differently than any other member of the League.

“Very well. Sarie, al-Tirsana, I will see you when you return.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Thea said as she and Roy bowed to him before he turned and left the room. As much as he wanted to stay and see them off on their mission, he knew he couldn’t do that. So, he went to his office instead, planning on immersing himself in other League business.

As he sat there looking over the reports that had come in since lunch, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was embarrassed that he hadn’t sensed the person before that. Yet, as he took in a breath, he caught the fragrance in the air. It was a scent that he associated with his wife and he allowed his tension to relax slightly.

“You know they’ll be fine, Husband,” Nyssa said softly to him.

“Knowing it in here,” Oliver replied, tapping his head before moving his hand down to his chest, letting it sit over his heart, “is different than knowing it here.”

“I think it is more than that, isn’t it?”

“I’m used to be out there with them. I haven’t be out there since we came back from Lian Yu.”

“Because that is not your role,” Nyssa told him bluntly. “You are Ra’s al Ghul. There are legions of men and women who serve as agents of your will. And yes, you have made Cheshire your Heir and that was something that needed to be done, but that does not change the fact that you are the Demon’s Head.”

“I know, Nyssa,” Oliver told her, standing from behind the desk and beginning to pace. “I’m just used to be the one out there, rather than staying behind. I also worry that my skills will diminish if I’m not using them.”

“Do you know that before he ventured to Starling City in order to persuade you to become his heir, my father had not left Nanda Parbat in almost a decade. That was when he faced Bruce Wayne with much the same goal in mind. Before that, I was an infant when he left. Did my father’s skills seem diminished when you faced him, either time?”

Oliver thought about that. Nyssa’s father had beaten him the first time they’d faced each other, partly because he hadn’t been willing to do what was necessary, hadn’t been willing to kill. But even acknowledging that fact, it was likely that Ra’s still would have won. The centuries of experience had shown, especially against someone who was a novice with a sword. Still, there had been a weakness to the man, which was the result of his age. Oliver wondered what the man had been like in his prime, before the pit had begun to lose its effect on him.

“My father had centuries of experience,” Nyssa said quietly. “Not all of it came on the field of battle, as it were. Most of it came within these halls, training against the best that the League had to offer. In the beginning, yes, he was sent out on missions time and time again, but that was all before he became Ra’s. Once he did, he had other duties, other responsibilities. Only the most serious of matters necessitated his presence. Now, you have the same duties and responsibilities, Husband. And that means taking the necessary step back from what you are used to.”

“I know.”

That was all that Oliver said, even if she heard the doubts in his voice. She knew he had come to terms with this months ago, but it was different now than it had been then. Now, he was sending those he loved into the field and that made this different. She hadn’t seen this when it was Sara or even her, but Nyssa believed that was because he had gotten used to them going on missions and returning safely. He didn’t have that with either Thea or Roy.

Deciding to take his mind off of his thoughts about what was happening, Nyssa took her husband by the hand and led him from his office. Oliver at first thought that they were going back to their rooms, but then she kept climbing higher within the fortress. When they arrived at their destination, he couldn’t help the smile that escaped. He remembered being here with his wife before, as they’d looked out over the view and meditated. This time, when he sat down on the stone floor, he pulled her down with him.

Situating himself, Oliver pulled Nyssa into his lap. Their heights were such that with them sitting like this, he could look over her head while having his nose buried in her hair. Holding her with her back pressed to his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and savored this. Both of them were silent, just enjoying the view as well as the time alone together. It was only when the sun set that they finally stood and walked back down to their rooms. Going inside, Oliver locked the door behind himself and turned to his wife.

Nyssa stepped into his arms, pressing a hungry kiss to his lips as his arms wrapped around her. When they pulled apart, it was only to undress one another. Then, Oliver lifted her and she wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs went around his hips. Walking over to the bed, they resumed their kissing while they fell into bed together. He took a moment to pull the covers back, then scooted the pair of them under them. And with that, they resumed losing and finding themselves in one another.

Gotham City

January 21, 2016

Felicity smiled as she and Barbara went into the elegant boutique. She was feeling much better than she had a few hours ago. Relaxing on the couch while they ate Chinese out of the containers had been fun. It had also served to deepen the friendship she was feeling for the other woman, as they had talked about their experiences in college. She’d been surprised to learn that the redhead has initially gone to school for a degree in library sciences and had actually been a librarian. It was only after she’d been shot and paralyzed by one of Gotham’s resident crazies that she’d been forced to rethink things. It was also when she discovered that there was nowhere that her mind and a computer couldn’t take her, regardless of her physical limitations. She’d ended up getting a scholarship to Gotham University and gotten her degree in computer sciences, followed by a master’s in network engineering and a job offer from Wayne Tech.

Felicity had wondered about that, briefly. Then, she took another piece of information and added it to the puzzle. Barbara’s father was the police commissioner, which likely meant that he had met and knew most of the rich and powerful within the city. It seemed possible that either Bruce or Lucius Fox knew Commissioner Gordon and had decided to offer his daughter a job. Then, they’d seen that she was talented and moved her up the ladder within the company, because she doubted that they would have placed Barbara in charge of whatever special projects she handled if she hadn’t proved herself.

For her part, Felicity had told Barbara about her childhood. They both had been raised, at least partly, by a single parent and that had been another thing that they had bonded over. She had told the redhead what had happened to her father, something that had shocked her even though it felt right, like she could confide in the other woman. Barbara had been shocked by what the blonde had told her. She knew that Bruce had never liked Amanda Waller and hearing this definitely confirmed that for her. She made a mental note to make sure to keep an eye on ARGUS. Waller might be gone, but who was to say that there wasn’t someone just a bad waiting to replace the woman.

Inside the boutique, Felicity felt her eyes open wide at seeing all of the dresses, gowns and other clothing. Barbara had been here before and knew that the dresses were exquisite. She was more than certain that they would be able to find the other woman something that would be perfect for the gala.

“Miss Gordon, wonderful to see you again,” a man said as he approached. Diggle and Montoya both watched the man for a moment before concluding that he wasn’t a threat.

“Hello, Giancarlo,” Barbara replied with a smile.

“How may I assist you tonight?”

“My friend needs something for the Wayne Foundation gala tomorrow night. And I know you have the best dresses in all of Gotham here.”

Giancarlo turned to face Felicity, his experienced eye looking the woman over. He could think of several gowns as well as some dresses that would be suited for her. But, this would be for one of the big events on the Gotham social calendar, so he needed to make sure that what she wore was perfect.

“Come with me, Miss,” Giancarlo said, leading the way further into the racks of outfits. As they moved, he would occasionally stop and pull down a garment that was hanging there. By the time they reached the dressing rooms, he had almost a dozen gowns and dresses. These, he hung from a bar in the dressing room before coming out and waving for Felicity to enter.

Felicity entered the dressing room and looked at the rack of dresses hanging there. She hoped that they would manage to find one out of that group that she liked. If her mother had been here, this definitely could turn into an all night event. But for her, she wasn’t a fan of the whole shop til you drop. That’s why she’d developed her style and stuck with things, for the most part, that were that style. Her pencil skirts, blouses and high heels, the colors bright and cheerful. Fancy dresses and gowns weren’t usually a part of that, though she did own a few.

Stripping down to her underwear, Felicity laid her clothes on the bench seat. She then turned to the dresses and selected the first one. The dark blue dress was beautiful, but it didn’t call to her. As she hung the hanger back on the bar, she thought about what Gotham was to her. This was a new beginning, not as a break from her friends or her past, but still an opportunity to meet new people, make new friends. Just like, in its own way, moving to Starling City and joining Queen Consolidated had been a new beginning for the young girl who had graduated from MIT. So, maybe this was the time to try something a little different.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t realize that she’d pulled down the second dress. Then, the feel of the hanger in her hand brought her out of her thoughts. It took her a moment to look at the dress, then the tears started forming in her eyes. The dress was a carbon copy of the dress that Ray had bought her for the dinner with a potential investor in Palmer Technologies. As she thought about that dress, she couldn’t help thinking about Ray, about how much she missed him. Not just the big things, but all of the little things, the gentle caress of his hand on her cheek, the way he would say her name when she’d start to babble, his smile when she got excited about something.

“Felicity, are you okay?” Barbara asked from outside the dressing room door. She and Giancarlo had both heard the blonde crying. The store manager had slipped away, to give them some privacy while the redhead went to her new friend.

“Yeah,” came a soft reply and while the crying seemed to slow, Barbara’s hearing was good enough to pick out the sobs that the other woman was trying to hide.

“Can I come in?”

There wasn’t a verbal response, but rather the sound of the door lock being disengaged could be heard after a couple of moments. When she opened the door, Barbara wasn’t surprised to see the tear tracks down Felicity’s cheeks. She reached into the shoulder bag that she carried and took out a handkerchief that Alfred had talked her into carrying. She handed it over to the blonde, who wiped at her eyes before blowing her nose. She watched as the other woman visibly pulled herself together, recognizing that it was mostly a mask to hide the fragility underneath.

“Do you want to go, Felicity?” Barbara asked. “We can always do this tomorrow, if you’d rather.”

“No, we can’t,” Felicity told her quietly. “I have appointments to see places tomorrow, so that I can have a place to live when I move here. And I know that Bruce would be fine if I used one of the company apartments while I was looking and that I could take all the time that I needed, but its something that I need to do. So, if we don’t get this done tonight, then I’ll have to cancel on the gala and I can’t do that to either Bruce or the company.”

“Wow, did you breath at all during that?”

Felicity laughed at that, which was what Barbara had been hoping for. If she was insistent that they continue looking for a dress, then the mood would matter in what she chose. If she was still feeling down, she’d likely pick something that would feel all wrong tomorrow or that would bring her mood back down.

“Yeah, I should warn you. I tend to ramble when I’m nervous or scared or excited or….”

“Basically all the time,” Diggle said from outside the doorway leading to the dressing rooms, getting a laugh from Barbara.

“Not funny, John,” Felicity said, though Barbara could hear the fondness in the blonde’s voice towards the man. If Barbara hadn’t already known that they were friends, things like that would have made it more than obvious.

“You’re forgetting, I’ve been a witness to some of your most epic ones. And I’ve definitely wondered the same thing, Miss Gordon.”

The two women laughed at that and Barbara could see that Felicity’s mood was slowly improving. She didn’t ask the other woman what had set her off, not wanting to cause her to start crying again. So, instead, she looked up at the dresses and thought about the other woman. And as she did so, she saw it, the dress that she felt the other woman should wear. Fortunately, the bar that they were hung on was just low enough that she could reach it. Taking the dress down, she held it up and smiled.

“Felicity,” Barbara said, getting the other woman to look. “What about this dress?”

Felicity stood, then realized something that hadn’t occurred to her before. She was in just her bra and panties while Barbara was fully dressed and the door to the dressing room was open. Before she could start to freak out, she took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten while closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she took the dress from Barbara and slowly took it off the hanger. The dress was gorgeous, she thought as she carefully pulled the dress over her head and shifted it down her body. The halter straps were quickly fastened at the back of her neck as Barbara backed out of the dressing room so that Felicity could go out and look at the dress in the mirrors.

Seeing Felicity walk out of the dressing rooms, Diggle had to quickly school his features to hide the shock that he was feeling. He’d seen the blonde dress up for various functions as both Oliver’s EA as well as Vice President of Palmer Technologies. Those dresses had been nice and the blonde had looked beautiful in them, but this, this was something else. He silently wondered which of the two women had picked that dress, betting that it had been Miss Gordon and that Felicity was about to get something of a shock.

“Barbara!” Felicity squeaked out as she stepped in from of the mirrors. She hadn’t realized how deep the v-neck was on the dress, nor how open the back was until she saw it in the mirrors. This was more like something her mother would wear, rather than her. Yet, as she got over her shock, she couldn’t deny how good the dress looked and how nice it felt. The colors were interesting, as they went from a pale pink at the top through a darker pink on to a medium shade of purple. The dress was silk with sequins from the halter straps to the hem, with a slit in the back that showed a good amount of leg as she stepped.

“Felicity, that is the dress.”

“I agree with Miss Gordon,” Diggle said, giving her a smile and an encouraging look. “Though you wearing that dress will make my night tomorrow more difficult. I may get into trouble if I have to discourage guys with wandering hands.”

“A little pepper spray might work,” Montoya said from where she was standing, a straight face as she made the quip.

“Might not be the best idea in a crowded room.”

Diggle and Montoya shared a smile. He was happy with the choice he’d made, believing that she would take good care of the woman he viewed as a sister. As for the new bodyguard, she was delighted that she’d been chosen, even if nothing had been said formally. She figured that would come in the next couple of days. After she’d been outed by Two-Face and watched as a once promising career with the GCPD had evaporated seemingly overnight, she’d been worried about what would come next. When she’d gotten the offer from Wayne Security, she’d been sure that it was simply a case of them not hearing about why she’d left the police force. Once they did, she had been sure that the job offer would be withdrawn.

The call from Bruce Wayne had been shock. She hadn’t figured that the CEO of the entire organization would care about the hiring of one more rent-a-cop. He’d asked to meet with her and when she’d shown up at Wayne Tower, she’d been immediately shown up to his office. But it had been when she’d entered his office that she’d gotten the real surprise, as Commissioner Gordon had been there as well. It turned out that he had been the one who’d recommended Montoya to Wayne.

Over the course of an hour, the three of them had talked. Gordon had explained why he’d held back from persuading her to stay on the force. He’d desperately wanted her to stay, but he also knew that she’d been handicapped, not just for her sexuality, but also because she was one of the sadly few honest cops on the force. If she called for backup, he’d told her, the likelihood of it actually reaching her was at best slim. And that was to say nothing of the daily harassment she would face.

For his part, Mister Wayne flat told her that the only thing he cared about was whether she could do the job. He wasn’t looking for a rent-a-cop or security guard. He thought that she was more suited to being a bodyguard. She spent the next six months getting trained by the best that Wayne Security had to offer, passing every test with flying colors. She’d then spent a little time handling temporary assignments before becoming a trainer herself only to be pulled from that for this job, one that she felt was going to be long term.

Pulling herself from those thought, Montoya was a little upset to find that Miss Smoak had disappeared. Seeing that Mister Diggle hadn’t moved, she knew that it was likely she’d just gone into the dressing room again. She was a little disappointed, as she’d liked the look of the petite blonde in that dress. The woman wasn’t as curvy as some, but what curves she had had looked even more incredible when paired with that dress. Montoya had to fight a smirk at that, because this woman was going to be her new boss, not to mention was unlikely to go that way.

A moment later and Felicity walked out of the dressing room, the dress on its hanger in her hand. Giancarlo saw her and smiled as he came over. Taking the dress from her, he carried it to the front for her. Looking at the dress, then at her, he nodded.

“It called to you, did it not?” Giancarlo asked her. “The dress.”

“Yes, it did,” Felicity said with a matching smile. “Do you happen to have shoes that would match it?”

“But of course. I have just the thing.”

Giancarlo took her over to where the shoes were and had her sit. Once she was seated, he removed her shoe and measure her foot. When he was done, he stood and walked over to the wall of shoes. Finding what he wanted, he carried the pair of heels over to Felicity. The shoes were the same color as the bottom part of the dress.

“Perfect.”

“Then, I will get a pair in your size and meet you up front, Miss,” Giancarlo told her before returning the display shoe to its place and walking into the back of the store.

Felicity joined the group up at the sales counter. Barbara was grinning from ear to ear, though what exactly had brought that smile about was a mystery to Felicity. What the blonde couldn’t know was that her new friend was picturing the looks on a couple of specific people’s faces when the IT genius walked into the gala tomorrow night. She was definitely going to enjoy watching.

Giancarlo came back after a few moments, the box of shoes in his hands. He quickly rang the sale up, taking pains not to notice the way his customer’s eyes bugged out at the total. Felicity hadn’t looked at the price tag on the dress and hadn’t known she was spending over six thousand dollars for the garment. Thankfully, she’d been making very good money as the Vice President of Palmer Technologies and her spending habits hadn’t changed, meaning that most of the money went into savings. Savings that were going to take a bit of a hit, but it couldn’t be helped.

With everything paid for, the group left the store and went out to the car. Once the ladies were settled in the back and Barbara’s wheelchair was put away, they drove off into the night. What none of them had noticed, not even the bodyguards, was the figure standing on the rooftop across from the store. She was in the shadows, watching as the group went to the car. She’d been intrigued to find the high-end boutique open this late, knowing that would only happen if someone very wealthy was there. She’d instantly dismissed the redhead, recognizing her as Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, which meant that it was the blonde. Flipping down her goggles, she zoomed in and took a couple of pictures. She wanted to know more about this woman, she thought as she stepped to the edge of the building and jumped off, starting her way back home.


	45. Joys of House Hunting

January 22, 2016

Gotham City

Felicity woke up and stretched, then reached for her phone. She wasn’t surprised to find that it was nearly eight in the morning. Between the jet lag from the flight and how busy the last few days had been, she’d been more than tired. So, a good night’s sleep had definitely been in order. Still, it was time to get up and get ready for the day. She’d scheduled three places to see today and the first was in two hours.

She was just rolling out of bed when she smelled bacon, eggs and coffee coming from the kitchen. Breakfast sounded wonderful to her until her stomach got in the act. Almost tripping over the covers as she ran to the attached bathroom, she just had time to lift the seat before she was throwing up. Fortunately, it didn’t go on for long and she was able to get back up. Deciding that since she was already there, she stripped and stepped into the shower.

Twenty minutes later and she was dressed in a sky blue blouse, gray skirt and her signature heels. Ready to face the day, she walked out of the bedroom and found Diggle sitting on the couch. A plate of food awaited her on the breakfast bar, as well as a cup of coffee. Taking the coffee, she quickly poured it out and got a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator instead. Filling a glass, she put the bottle back and then went to her food.

As she ate, she tapped away on her phone. She sent a message to Gerry to schedule an appointment with her doctor for Monday or Tuesday. She needed to figure out why she was getting nauseous when she smelled coffee. She also knew that Diggle had seen her toss the coffee and was probably also curious about that. However, before she could say anything, a knock came from the door. She watched as Diggle got up from the couch and walked over to answer it. She smiled when she saw Barbara come rolling into the apartment.

“What are you doing here? Not that you can’t be here, but shouldn’t you be at work?” Felicity asked, stopping herself this time before a ramble started, getting a grin from Barbara.

“I told you I’d help you in finding a place to live,” Barbara told her. “Besides, today’s kind of a slow day for my team. We’re waiting on a manufacturer for a part on one project and the other two are still in the designing stage, which I can’t really help with.”

“So, what would you be doing today if you weren’t doing this?”

“Reviewing reports, approving expenses and playing Call of Duty.”

The two women looked at each other for a moment, then laughed. Felicity could have guessed the first two, but she seriously doubted that the redhead was actually playing Call of Duty while at work. As for Barbara, she had a good idea what her new friend was thinking about that statement and wondered what would happen if she found out it was a hundred percent true. Not only was it true, but she was usually playing against Tim or Dick, so Bruce likely knew what she was doing as well. She thought the game and others like it helped to keep her situational awareness sharp, especially for when she’s guiding the others through the maze of alleyways in the Narrows or Crime Alley.

“Well, why don’t we get going,” Felicity said, a little nervous as well as excited to be looking for her new home.

“Sounds good to me,” Barbara said with a smile. “I’ve never really shopped for a place before.”

“What about your apartment?”

“Bruce owns it. After I was shot and they discovered that I was paralyzed, my dad had to acknowledge that our place wasn’t exactly handicap accessible. So, he went looking while I was still in the hospital and then in rehab. He wasn’t having any luck finding something nice, but that we would be able to afford. Then Bruce came to visit, said he had something to show us. He brought us here and handed me the keys.”

“Why would he do that?” Felicity asked. “Not that I think he wouldn’t or shouldn’t do it. I just don’t understand. I mean, how did he know you? Did he know you or was this some random act of kindness? Like, ‘I am rich and must bestow blessings on these lesser mortals’? And now I just made our boss sound like an arrogant rich asshole.”

“Easy there, Felicity,” Barbara said gently. “Trust me, I get that it’s a little weird from the outside. But, I’ve known Bruce for years. Dad was the officer who helped comfort him after his parents were murdered, until Alfred could arrive. Then, Dick and I were kinda dating at the time I was shot and Bruce was Dick’s guardian, so I’d see Bruce whenever Dick had me over.”

By this time, they were all down at the car. The sedan was just the right height for Barbara to transition from her wheelchair directly into the back seat. Once Felicity was in as well, Diggle shut the door and then loaded the wheelchair into the trunk. Montoya was behind the wheel, so as soon as Diggle was in the front passenger seat, she dropped the car into drive and headed out. Felicity pulled up her list on her phone and handed it to Diggle, who loaded the destinations into the car’s GPS system before returning the phone to her.

“So, Dick was your boyfriend?”

“Yes, he was. We dated for about three years. We were young, then college got in the way of us having as much time together as we might have wanted. I think we both just got comfortable with where we were and when I was shot, it made me realize some things. Like how short life is and I asked for more than he was ready to give.”

“That sucks,” Felicity told her, laying a hand on her leg. Listening to the redhead, she couldn’t help thinking about Laurel. In a way, she thought that is what the lawyer had done with Oliver before the Gambit. Granted, she didn’t know the full story, but from the bits and pieces she did have, that was how it seemed to her. But then again, maybe if she’d been clearer, they could have just broken things off and found the ones they were truly meant for.

“Yeah, it does,” Barbara said, looking at her hands. “I know it wasn’t because of my being paralyzed, but it was still a blow to my self-esteem. And it was even worse, in the beginning when I would see Dick out with some girl, the pair of them walking and holding hands. But then, I was back in school and focusing on my new path. Before I knew it, a year had passed and I suddenly found that it no longer hurt to see him with someone else. Still, I do think that maybe one day, we’ll get back together.”

Felicity tried to figure out what, if anything, to say to that. Before she can, the car comes to a stop and Felicity looks out at the building they have pulled up in front of. Their first stop of the day. Getting out, she tilts her head upward, trying to figure out how high the building goes. When all that accomplishes is to give her an ache in her neck, she looks downward and smothers her apprehension. The others join her and they make their way inside, looking around the lobby of the building.

“Miss Smoak,” an older gentleman calls, walking over to greet them.

“Yes,” Felicity says, holding out her hand. “Are you Mister Rose?”

“I am. Now, why don’t you all join me and we'll go up to the apartment.”

The group follows him over to the elevators and step inside. Diggle winces a little when he sees the man press the button, knowing that Felicity is not a fan of heights and the apartment being on the thirty-second floor is definitely going to be a point against it. When the elevator stops, the doors open onto the foyer of the apartment itself. Diggle and Montoya exchange a look at that, knowing that they will have to say something to Felicity about the lack of security. But, then they realize that they don’t need to worry about that as they see her walking into the apartment’s living room and stopping dead in her tracks.

“Are all of the walls glass, Mister Rose?”

“Why, yes, Miss Smoak,” Mister Rose said, looking at the blonde and realizing that there was a problem.

“I’m sorry for wasting your time, but I don’t think this will work for me,” Felicity told him. “I have a fear of heights, but I’m usually alright if I have something other than a window to look at. This place, though, is nothing but windows and views outside, not to mention down. A whole lot of down.”

“That’s not a problem, Miss Smoak. If I had known, I wouldn’t have shown you this property. However, if you happen to have the time, I do have another property that might be better suited for you. It’s not far from here.”

Mister Rose pulled out a card and wrote the address of the property on it. He handed this over to Felicity, who put the card in her pocket.

“That would be fine. We’ll drive over there now.”

“Perfect. Give me about five minutes to lock everything up here and then I’ll meet you there,” Mister Rose said as he watched them go back to the foyer and get on the elevator. He gave a sigh once the doors had closed, glad that he had thought of the other property and hoped that he’d be able to salvage a sale out of the day. He quickly went to the back door and locked it. It had only been unlocked so that they would be able to see the trash disposal system and the freight elevators.

The foursome drove a few blocks over and found themselves on a residential street lined with older brownstones that had clearly been well taken care of. Felicity liked the look of the houses, though the stairs leading up to the front door did concern her. They would have to figure out a way to get Barbara inside and would also be an issue any time the redhead decided to visit her. Still, they all got out of the car and made their way towards the residence. Mister Rose had been true to his word, as he was coming down the sidewalk from the opposite direction as them.

The Realtor could see the look on Felicity’s face and smiled as he stepped up. He went to a gate in the wrought iron fencing that lined the edge of the sidewall and opened it. Here, there was a short ramp the led downwards to a doorway under the stairs. Taking out his keys, he unlocked the door and held it open. The others waited for Felicity to go first, so she went down and inside. Here, she found herself in a small entryway facing a long hallway. To her right was what looked like a sitting room. She walked down the hallway, so that the rest of the group could enter behind her.

“So, down here, you have the staff living room and bedroom over here. Then down the hall, you have the stairs and elevator, while on the right is the kitchen and informal dining room. Through the kitchen is the TV room and outside is the garden.”

“Just how big is this house?” Felicity asked as she looked around the first floor.

“It’s seven bedrooms, Miss Smoak,” Mister Rose told her. “Counting the staff’s bedroom down here. The current owners had used one of the bedroom as a home office, although there is a den on the same floor as the master bedroom.”

“That’s a lot of house for basically one person, Felicity,” Diggle said, looking at his friend.

“Yeah. But at the same time, if you and Lyla come visit or my Mom and Dad, we don’t have to worry about hotel rooms. And I definitely expect you to visit.”

“Of course we’ll be visiting. Can’t deprive you of your baby Sara time, now can we?”

Felicity just grinned at that before walking up the stairs to see the rest of the house. The second floor had a formal dining room, with its own smaller kitchen. As well, there was a front room or parlor and a large living room. She suspected that as part of her job, she would likely have to do some entertaining and this floor was be a nice space for gatherings. The third floor has an in-home theater complete with comfortable seating and a large screen to watch on. There were two bedrooms and a gym there too. Felicity figured that she could do her yoga there and maybe get an exercise bike as well.

The fourth floor had another two bedrooms, the home office that Mister Rose had mentioned and a large library. Three walls were covered floor to ceiling with book shelves, only broken up by the windows that let natural light into the room. But it was the fifth floor that Felicity fell in love with. The entire floor consisted of basically two things, the master suite and the den. The master suite consisted of a large bedroom, two walk-in closets and the bathroom. The entire thing was closed off from the stairway and short hall, so that if people came up, they could only go to the den if the doors were locked. As for the den, she could see turning the room into her home office. It even had an attached half bath of its own, so that no one visiting the den had to enter the master suite or go downstairs if they needed to use the restroom.

The stairs continued up, even though this should have been the last floor. Felicity went up the stairs and found that they came out on the roof. There was a deck built up there, as well as what looked like a green house. She had to laugh at that because she couldn’t see herself ever using something like that. Besides, there was the garden out back with a sitting area, which was something she could see herself using, as long as someone who knew what they were doing took care of the flowers.

She did like the elevator, since this way Barbara could get to any of the floors without needing someone to help get her up the stairs. And thinking that made her realize that Barbara was basically the only person she knew in Gotham. That would definitely be something to get used to again, being somewhere basically alone. But, she’d done it when she’d moved to Boston for college and she’d done it when she’d gone to Starling City and joined Queen Consolidated. She could do it again, she knew, even if this time would be a little harder considering the people she was leaving behind.

“What do you think, Felicity?” Barbara asked from behind her, getting the blonde to spin around and nearly fall before she caught herself.

“It’s a great house. Not sure I need all seven bedrooms, though,” Felicity said with a grin.

“I’d say you could turn one of them into a closet, but I saw those two walk-in closets and you’d need a lot of clothes to fill those. The only person I know with a big place is Bruce and he lives in an actual mansion.”

“By himself?”

“Well, Tim and Alfred live there too,” Barbara told her.

“I figured Alfred would,” Felicity responded. “But, who’s Tim?”

“Tim Drake. Bruce took him in after Tim’s mother was killed and his father ended up in a coma. He’s a good guy and Tam Fox’s boyfriend.”

“Oh, so that’s why you two were grinning when she said she was going to the gala with someone named Tim.”

“Pretty much,” Barbara said. “Lucius knows Tim’s a good guy, but nobody is ever going to be good enough for his little girl. My dad acted the same way about Dick when we were dating.”

“I missed out on that,” Felicity said. “Not that I dated all that much. Just Cooper in college, Oliver once and then Ray. Kinda wish my dad had been there to tell me I was making a mistake when I dated Cooper, to be honest.”

“So, other than the absurd number of bedrooms, you like the house?”

“I do. It’s insanely big for just me, but I know there may be times where I have to entertain and a little two bedroom apartment wouldn’t give the right impression. I never had to worry about that in Starling as Ray and I would have dinners at restaurants or in his suite at Palmer Technologies. But this house has plenty of room for that, I mean the entire second floor and that theater on the third floor, while my personal space could remain my personal space.”

With that, the group made there way back down to the first floor. Mister Rose was standing at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, a packet of documents in front of him. He looked over at Felicity as she stepped out of the elevator, trying to gauge how the young blonde was feeling about the house.

“Thank you, Mister Rose,” Felicity said as she walked over to him. “A couple of questions, however. What is the asking price for the house and how quickly would we be able to close if I were to decide to purchase it?”

“The seller is asking forty-two million, five hundred thousand, Miss Smoak,” Mister Rose told her. “Closing would be a matter of a few days, depending on how quickly your financing was in place. The seller moved out last year after the passing of his wife. He took the items he wanted and what remains here, apart from the paintings which will be going to the Gotham Museum, comes with the house or can be given to charity.”

Felicity blinked at that, thinking about all the nice furniture she’d seen in the house. She was curious about the seller, wondering why he hadn’t wanted any of this. But for now she put a lock on that curiosity and focused on what needed to be done. She still had two other appointments for the day and they would need to be going if she was to make the next one. There was, however, something about this house that called to her. So, she took the information from Mister Rose and promised to call him soon with a decision on the house.

With that done, the four of them went back out to their car. Only when the car was in motion did Felicity take her phone out and make a call. She hadn’t wanted to do it at the house, as she regarded her finances as well as what was happening with Ray’s estate was private. She’d even thought about waiting until after they had seen the other properties and were back at the apartment. But she realized that this call was important, as the answer could determine what she did next. She was slightly surprised to realize that she hadn’t thought of this problem earlier.

“Good morning, Mister Solomons’ office,” came a voice on the line.

“Good morning. My name is Felicity Smoak. May I speak with Mister Solomons please?” Felicity asked.

“One moment, Miss Smoak.”

“Good morning, Felicity,” came the voice of Ray’s attorney and now hers as well. “How can I help you today?”

“As you know, I’m moving to Gotham and am in the process of finding a place to live.”

“And you are wondering how long until the estate is settled?”

“In a way,” Felicity said. “I know that it is likely to take some time, but I don’t want to wait until that is done before I can think about buying something. I also don’t want to rent something, given that I’ll be here for at least five years, and I don’t want to do something temporary and have to move again in six months or a year.”

“I see,” Mister Solomons said. “While I can’t release any of the estate’s funds to you, it would be possible for the estate to purchase the property in question. Then, once probate is finished and the estate settled, it would just be a matter of putting the deed in your name.”

“That brings us to the other matter. How much would I be able to spend, for lack of a better word. I’m not looking to go crazy, but at the same time I suspect that I will have certain obligations as a member of the board of Wayne Enterprises as well as Vice President of Wayne Tech. Things like dinner parties and that sort of thing.”

“Yes, I would agree with that. And while you might not be the face of the company as it were, not like Bruce Wayne is, I am sure that there will be those occasions where you’ll have to host a gathering. I take it from these questions you have a particular property in mind.”

“I do,” Felicity told him. “It’s a brownstone that is on the market for forty-two and a half million dollars. As well, the furnishings come with the property. I can send you the information as well as the contact information for the Realtor. You may be able to negotiate the price, especially if it is a cash sale.”

“Indeed, Miss Smoak,” Mister Solomons said, not terribly surprised at the price of the house. It was likely in one of the nicer areas of Gotham City, while still being within the city as opposed to out where the mansions of people like Bruce Wayne were. But then, those type of properties rarely came on the market, with many of them being passed down from one generation to the next. A brownstone, however, was something that a newly wealthy person would be interested in buying. Either that, or a property developer who would turn the building into apartments. “Once I have the information, I will call and speak with the man.”

“Thank you, Mister Solomons.”

“You’re very welcome, Miss Smoak.”

With that, Felicity hung up the phone before quickly canceling her appointments to see the other properties. She thought about going ahead and seeing them, but her heart wasn’t really in it. Unless the purchase of the brownstone fell through for some reason, she knew she had found where she wanted to live. She’d felt the same way in Starling City when she’d found her condo there and she’d had no reason to think she was wrong about that decision either.

Instead, she directed Montoya to take them somewhere for lunch. She figured a nice meal and then some rest would have them all ready for the gala that evening. Plus, when she got back to the apartment, she needed to scan the paperwork from Mister Rose and send it on to Mister Solomons. She’d do that before settling in on the couch and seeing what was on Netflix for her to watch.

January 22, 2016

Gotham City

Al-Jabal stood in front of the hall mirror, checking his reflection for the second time. There was a certain image that he needed to present tonight and looks were an important part of it. Over the years, he had gotten adept at presenting a variety of different personas depending on the situation. Tonight, it would be as wealthy oil baron from Texas. An invitation has been waiting at the apartment when he, Sarie and al-Tirsana had arrived.

There were also outfits for both Sarie and al-Tirsana waiting for them, though neither had been thrilled to find that they would be attending the gala as part of the wait staff. He had sat them down and explained what he had planned. He would be the distraction, while they took care of the mission’s objective. One of the guests at the gala was a German national by the name of Karl Hoffenheim. The League knew that the man supplied materials that nations such as Iran were using to get closer to the construction of nuclear weapons. Ra’s had decided that the threat this posed to the world was such that it needed to be addressed immediately, even if that meant killing him in Gotham rather than wait for him to return home.

A footstep came from behind him and al-Jabal turned to see Sarie and al-Tirsana standing there. While she looked ready, her partner looked uncomfortable. Stepping forward, he cocked an eyebrow, waiting.

“I’m not sure I can pull this off,” Roy said, fidgeting with the bow tie and collar.

“It’s not that hard,” Thea said. “Smile, be pleasant and don’t drop the tray.”

“Also, make sure that you give the correct glass to Herr Hoffenheim,” al-Jabal told them.

Each of them would have a prepared glass coated inside with Batrachotoxin. Whichever one happened to get close enough to their target would be the one to dose the man. He would act as the distraction if needed by seeming to accidentally bump into the man and make him spill his drink. This would provide all the excuse needed for either Sarie or al-Tirsana to approach with the fresh drink. The nice thing about the poison was that victims looked like they were having a heart attack. If they moved quickly enough, all three of them would be out of the gala before their target dropped.

“Remember, both of you, if you believe that you belong there, others will believe it as well. So, walk confidently and be aware of your surroundings.”

“Yes, al-Jabal.”

“Good,” al-Jabal said as he looked at them. “If I didn’t believe that you were ready for this, I would not have suggested it to Nyssa or Ra’s. I have seen the strides you have both made in your training. Now, you need to believe in yourselves.”

The duo bowed their heads to their teacher, pleased to hear his words and trusting in his faith in them. They knew that they would not fail him, nor would they fail Ra’s al Ghul. For that was how they were thinking of him right now. Not as Oliver Queen, not as the mentor of one of them and the brother of the other. Now, this was their leader and his will was for Herr Hoffenheim to die. Their only thought needed to be how to accomplish this. So, they needed to find a way to push whatever doubts and fears that they might have aside and do what was necessary.

That, the ability to overcome their fears, was a part of what al-Jabal had been teaching them. It was not just stealth. He had also worked with them on meditation techniques, ways to slow their pulse and breathing as well as how to be still. Sarie had been better at that than al-Tirsana, which was why she seemed to be doing better at hiding her anxiety about what they would be doing in a couple of hours.

Taking his time, al-Jabal inspected the pair. Both of them dressed as wait staff for the gala, wearing white jackets with a crisp white shirt, paired with black ties and pants. They had also changed their hair color, with al-Tirsana’s now being a dirty blonde while Sarie’s was jet black. Both of them were wearing contacts as well, changing their eye color. He doubted that this would be truly necessary, but he believed in taking every possible precaution. This was especially true here, given the League’s agreement with the Batman. If he was to discover that they were behind what happened tonight, things could get a little messy.

“Alright, you both know where you need to go. I will see you inside. Wait for my signal before you approach Herr Hoffenheim.”

“As you command, al-Jabal.”

With that said, Sarie and al-Tirsana left the apartment. They needed to get over to the venue and report for their shift. Al-Qarasina had hacked into the company that provided the wait staff and placed the pair on the roster for the night. The names matched to the fake identifications that had been waiting at the apartment as well. He wondered if Bruce Wayne was aware that the League was always in his city, that there was even a shadow placed within Wayne Enterprises itself. Nyssa’s father had never accepted that the deal he’d made with Gotham’s protector would be of a permanent nature, but rather viewed it as a truce in the League’s war against the crime and corruption that plagued the city.


	46. The Gala

January 22, 2016

Gotham City

Two miles away, Felicity and Barbara were finishing an early dinner. They’d both known that events like tonight’s were not known for their dining, but were more cocktails and canapes. Neither of them wanted to wait for a late meal after the gala, since they couldn’t know when would be a fashionable time to leave. That was why they’d gotten together, ordered some food and put a Doctor Who episode on.

Barbara went back to her apartment afterwards, so she could get changed for the gala. Felicity went and took a quick shower, putting on a shower cap to keep her hair dry. After she was done and dried off, she brushed her hair out. She then put on a pair of nude panties and thigh high stockings before going to her closet and retrieving the dress. Carefully pulling it on, she smoothed it out and adjusted the halter straps. Last, came her shoes and ear rings, having decided on a set of diamond studs Ray had given her for her birthday.

Seeing that Barbara wasn’t back yet, Felicity decided to go down to her apartment. Since they were on the same floor, neither Diggle or Montoya went with her. Montoya was actually already in the hall, waiting near the elevators. She nodded at the woman as she stepped up to the other doorway and knocked.

“Come in,” Barbara called through the door.

When Felicity came in, she found the redhead on the phone. Across the arm of a nearby chair was a black jacket, obviously part of the suit that she had elected to wear tonight. Her blouse was a silvery white and looked to be silk. Barbara’s hair was down like Felicity’s, but had obviously had a curling iron used on it judging by the waves in those auburn tresses.

“No, Dad. I already had dinner.”

“Oh, with whom?” came a man’s voice over the phone as Barbara put it on speaker so she could apply some makeup.

“With the new Vice President of Wayne Tech, Dad,” Barbara said with a laugh. “You remember me telling you that she was visiting. We’re going to the gala tonight together.”

“Good. You can introduce me then.”

“I promise, I will, Dad. I need to finish getting ready, so I’ll let you go. Love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, Barbara,” Commissioner Gordon said before hanging up the phone.

Barbara put her phone down on the table and picked up her lipstick. She’d picked a bright red and had a smoky eyeliner on as well. When she was done, she turned to face Felicity and smiled.

“Damn, that dress looks even better tonight,” Barbara told the other woman.

“I like that pant suit, even if I expected you in a dress as well,” Felicity said. “Now, I’m wondering if I’m over dressed for this.”

“Not at all. One of the disadvantages of being in this chair is the height difference. Last time I wore a dress to one of these, I had a guy who was ‘talking’ to me. Only problem is his eyes kept going straight to my cleavage and not my eyes.”

“That’s disgusting!”

“Oh, trust me, that’s not the worst part of it. Because of the difference in heights, I had a front row seat to the tent he was pitching in his pants whenever I looked away. Plus the fact that he was close to my dad’s age and just...yuck,” Barbara said.

“Did he know who you were? Or was it just ‘She looks hot, let’s check her out’?” Felicity asked.

“It was Mister Earle.”

“Shut the frack up. What did you do about it?”

“Nothing,” Barbara said to Felicity’s shock. “Before I could, Bruce came over and pulled Mister Earle away, saying he needed to discuss something with him. Next thing I knew, he was leaving the party and Dick was talking to me about something funny. I never asked Bruce what had happened, but not long after that, Mister Earle had been removed from Wayne Enterprises.”

“You mean Bruce found another reason to get rid of the guy,” Felicity replied with a smirk. She liked that Bruce had stood up for Barbara, plus the fact that he didn’t make a big deal about but rather handled it quietly.

Barbara wheeled over and collected the suit jacket, leaning forward a little so that she could get it on. The redhead flexed her shoulders to get it to settle, then adjusted the lapels and fastened the single button. Felicity had to bite her tongue to keep from saying the first thing that came to mind when she saw the whole outfit, that her friend looked sexy as hell. A part of her wondered if there was an ulterior motive to what she was wearing. After all, she knew that Dick Grayson was going to be there. Could this be as much for him as for the redhead? Then again, she was wearing something that could be called sexy as well and she wasn’t wearing it because someone was going to be there. She was wearing it for herself, because it made her feel good.

Barbara felt under the armrests of her wheelchair, making sure her Escrima sticks were there. It was as much a reflex anymore as anything else. There wasn’t a known threat to the gala, but this was Gotham. If there was one thing she’d learned, even before she’d become Batgirl, it was that there was no shortage of danger in the city. No matter where she went, she always made sure she was armed in some fashion.

“You ready, Felicity?”

“After you.”

Barbara laughed at that as she wheeled over to the door and pulled it open. She went out into the hall and waited for the blonde to join her, then closed the door and locked it. When she turned from it, she saw that the elevator had been summoned and Diggle, Montoya and Felicity were standing there waiting for it. A few minutes later and they were out at the car, her wheelchair secured in the trunk for the drive over. Montoya had just pulled away from the building when Felicity’s phone rang. Taking it out of her clutch, she saw it was Mister Solomons.

“Hello, Mister Solomons,” Felicity said as she answered it.

“Hello, Miss Smoak,” the lawyer replied. “I have good news for you. The house is yours, or will be as soon as the home inspection is completed and the documents are signed.”

“Home inspection?”

“Yes. We’ll have someone walk through, check for termites, mold, electrical issues, that kind of thing. After all, you’re investing thirty-eight million dollars in that house. The last thing either of us want is to find that you’ll need to spend another ten million to fix a host of problems that make themselves known after you move in.”

“No, I definitely don’t want that,” Felicity said with a grimace, one that was heard over the phone.

“Don’t worry too much, Miss Smoak,” Mister Solomons told her. “This is absolutely routine and I don’t expect them to find any major issues. Think of this like insurance. You don’t buy it because you plan on being in an accident, you buy it in case that accident does happen.”

“And when will this happen?”

“Tomorrow. I know you’re moving next week, so I explained the time line and we worked out a plan. The funds are being wired to an escrow account as we speak. If the inspection finds no major issues, I’ll fly to Gotham on Monday and sign the paperwork. I’ll bring the keys back with me and we’ll meet on Tuesday so that I can give them to you.”

“Thank you, Mister Solomons,” Felicity told him with a smile.

“You’re quite welcome, Miss Smoak,” the lawyer replied before hanging up.

Felicity couldn’t help her self, she did a little happy dance in her seat. Barbara and Diggle both watched her with amusement. Just from what they had been able to hear and what they were seeing, they had a very good idea of what the conversation meant. Montoya had heard their end of the conversation, but her eyes were focused on the road, as traffic was a little congested. She figured if there was a problem, Diggle would have clued her into it, so she ignored it for the moment. Besides, the event was just up ahead, as she turned on her turn signal and joined the line of cars.

A mass of people were lined up outside the entrance to the Wayne Foundation building, from curious onlookers to the press. Flashes were going off all over the place. Diggle got out and scanned their surroundings, while Montoya retrieved the wheelchair from the trunk and brought it around for Barbara. With a nod from him, she opened the door so that Barbara could transfer from the backseat into the chair, then wheel back so that Felicity could follow her out of the car. The sight of the two women caused some jockeying among the crowd, so that they could get pictures. Most of the press and many of the amateur bloggers recognized Barbara Gordon, but the blonde with her was an unknown.

“Miss Gordon, who’s your date tonight?”

“Who is she?”

“Miss, could you look here please?”

The shouted questions came fast and furious, drawing a smile from the redhead. She’d gotten used to this, having attended many events with her father, with Dick or even occasionally with Bruce. Felicity, however, was looking a little overwhelmed by all the attention. Seeing this, it occurred to her that the blonde likely didn’t go to these kind of things regularly, maybe even not at all. So, she decided to take a little of the attention off of her. But, just as she was going to speak, an excited hush fell over the crowd, one that she well knew. Turning, she smirked as she saw Bruce, Alfred standing back at the luxury sedan. The older man smiled at her and nodded before he walked around and got back behind the wheel.

“Mister Wayne, Mister Wayne!”

Bruce ignored the shouts, focusing on the two women. When he reached them, he knelt down and gave Barbara a hug and kiss. Then he stood and turned to Felicity.

“Hello, Felicity. May I say that you look beautiful tonight?” Bruce offered.

“Thank you, Bruce,” Felicity replied. “You look beautiful, too. No, handsome, because guys don’t look beautiful, they look handsome. Yes, very handsome.”

“Thank you, Felicity. Now, are you ready to face your adoring fans now?”

“Is that what we’re calling them, Bruce?”

The pair exchanged a look, each of them smiling slightly. Then, Bruce turned to face the cameras. Felicity stepped up beside him, which got all of the flashes going. She tried to remember all of the things her mother had shared with her from the celebrity magazines she read. How to look like she was enjoying the experience, rather than feeling like she wanted to bolt for the street or run to get inside. Not that she was going to be able to run very fast in these heels, but she doubted that would be a concern.

“Ladies, gentlemen. This is Miss Felicity Smoak, the new Vice President of Wayne Tech and member of Wayne Enterprises board of directors,” Bruce said. “She’s moving here from Starling City soon.”

“Miss Smoak, what do you think of Gotham City?” a reporter called out, she couldn’t see which one.

“Well, I’ve only been here for two days and yesterday was spent at Wayne Enterprises in meetings,” Felicity said, getting a laugh. “I did see a bit of the city today and met a few people. I’m looking forward to moving here and meeting even more.”

“When do you expect to move here?” another reporter asked, this time she was able to see the face of the blonde woman asking the question.

“Very soon. I’m still looking for somewhere to live here, but Mister Wayne and Mister Fox both made it clear that they needed me here. So, it will be soon.”

Bruce figured that would be good for now, so he nodded towards the entrance to the Wayne Foundation building. Felicity had never been more grateful to be moving again, especially as she heard other questions being called from behind them. Barbara was ahead of them, waiting just inside the doorway for them to reach her, a kind smile on her face. With her was Tam and a young man who from the fact that he was holding Tam’s hand she guessed was Tim. He was cute, as he tried not to stare at her while standing next to his girlfriend.

“Hi, Miss Smoak,” Tam said, looking at her with a wide smile. “That dress is gorgeous.”

“Thank you, Tam,” Felicity said. “I love your dress. Where did you get it?”

“My sister. She’s a fashion designer and this is one of her creations.”

Felicity looked at the strapless dress in maroon with gold accents. The skirt ended just below the knee, showing off the woman’s legs to perfection. But it was the gold accents that really made it pop, as did the earrings and necklace the young woman wore. The man she’d guessed was Tim was wearing a black tuxedo that looked like a twin to the one Bruce was wearing, except Tim’s had a maroon tie and vest to match his dates. Bruce’s was black tie and no vest.

Across the room, Roy was circulating with a tray of champagne flutes. He almost stumbled when he caught sight of Felicity and had to suppress a curse at the potential bad luck. One of the only people that might potentially recognize him or Thea and wonder why they were there was here. Then he saw Diggle and the risk factor increased even more. He could only hope that the disguise would stand up, especially if he had to get closer to either of them to complete his mission.

Roy looked and caught sight of Thea, who was proceeding as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She was even closer to Diggle, almost scarily close. Yet, she went right past him without the bodyguard taking a second look at her. So, Roy took a deep breath and continued on, looking for their target. He’d seen the man about thirty minutes ago, but he’d slowly lost him in the growing crowd of people.

Thea, on the other hand, still had an eye on Herr Hoffenheim. She continued to let her eyes sweep the room, a faint smile on her lips as she took in Felicity. The blonde looked good, better than she had the last time she’d seen her. Then again, a funeral never brought out the best in anybody’s appearance. There was a part of her that wished circumstances were different, so that she could approach her friend and ask how she was. But, she only thought that for a second before pushing it out of her mind. She was here for a reason and she needed to focus on that.

As she looked around the room, she could see the little grouping that Felicity was in break up. Thea knew that Bruce Wayne was the host of the gala, so it was natural for him to need to mingle. Then, the man and woman who were about her age headed up to the second floor. She’d heard that there was music and dancing up there, though whether it would be music that the late teens, early twenty-somethings would enjoy was debatable. She felt a little bad for Felicity when someone pulled the redhead in the wheelchair she’d arrived with away. The blonde was basically left standing in the middle of the room all alone, but not for long. A dark haired woman wearing a short black dress that simply clung to her curves walked up behind Felicity.

“I like your dress,” the raven-haired woman said softly to Felicity, getting a little jump from the blonde.

“Thank you,” Felicity said as she turned to face the woman.

“I do have to question whomever brought you here for leaving such a beautiful woman all alone.”

Felicity blushed at that, the color running down her neck and drawing a smile from the other woman.

“I’m not though. Beautiful, that is. Not like you. You, you’re gorgeous. I’m nowhere close to that and never will be.”

“I’ll have to disagree with that, Miss,” the woman said, her tone of voice making the last a question.

“Oh,” Felicity said as she realized that neither of them had actually introduced themselves. “Felicity Smoak.”

“Very nice to meet you, Felicity. May I call you Felicity.”

“Please do.”

“Great. I’m Selena Kyle,” Selena said with a smile. “And what do you do, Felicity, when you’re not stealing unsuspecting people’s attention with your beauty?”

“I work at Wayne Tech,” Felicity said, even as her blush grew at the complements.

“Don’t let Miss Smoak’s modesty fool you, Miss Kyle,” Lucius said as he stepped up to them. “She’s the Vice President of Wayne Tech and a member of the board of Wayne Enterprises. She is a genius who will set the tech world on fire with her ideas, mark my words.”

“Mister Fox, please.”

“I call them like I see them, Miss Smoak. But, I apologize for butting in, I was wondering if you had happened to see Tam?”

“She went up to the second floor with a young man,” Felicity said with a smile.

“Oh, that’s where she disappeared to,” Lucius replied with a smile. “I should have guessed.”

With that Lucius walked off, leaving the two women alone again. Selena turned to a passing waitress and took two flutes of champagne from her tray. She handed one to the blonde and kept the other herself.

“So, beauty and brains. How has nobody snapped you up?”

Selena knew instantly that she’d somehow said the wrong thing as she watched Felicity’s face fall. When the tears came, she gently guided the blonde over to a little alcove to give her some privacy. She’d noticed a man subtly following them over, as well as a woman, and instantly pegged the pair as bodyguards.

“I’m so sorry, Felicity,” Selena whispered to the other woman, gently running a hand down the woman’s arm.

“It’s not your fault, Selena. There’s no way you could have know. I mean, we’d only met tonight and you’ve likely never even heard of me. I’ve never even been to Gotham before,” Felicity said, knowing she was starting to ramble and taking a moment to count backwards from five before going on. “My fiance died less than a month ago.”

“Oh my God, Felicity. I’m sorry.”

“Like I said, it’s not your fault. You had no way of knowing.”

“I know,” Selena said, her voice still low and soft. “But I can still be sorry for hurting you, even if it was unknowingly.”

Whatever Felicity was going to say was cut off by the sound of screams from near the doorway. Both Felicity and Selena looked over there, as did Diggle and Montoya. The visitors from Starling could only stare in shock at the couple that stood there. They’d heard about all the weird criminals that inhabited Gotham City, but seeing a pair of them was a lot different that reading stories online or seeing blurry clips on the news or social media.

Diggle snapped out of it first, especially seeing the handful of gunmen that were following the pair. He looked around and spotted an exit. It was fairly close by and if they kept their heads down, he was certain that they could make it. Tapping Felicity on the arm, he got her to make eye contact with him. Using a couple of looks and some head gestures, he got her to understand that she needed to take her shoes off. Selena saw this and followed suit, having figured out what the man’s plan was.

Diggle and Montoya stayed between the ladies and the criminals as they slowly made their way from the alcove towards the doorway. They were about halfway there when a shotgun blast went off. Instantly, they dropped to the floor and looked towards the entrance.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” the Joker said, his seemingly permanent grin making him look even more sinister. “We are tonight’s entertainment.”

“You tell them, Puddin’,” Harley Quinn said from beside him.

“Now, where is Bruce Wayne, huh? Where is he?”

The Joker started going through the room, looking. His henchmen were doing the same, pushing people around with their shotguns. Felicity couldn’t take her eyes off the pair, at how odd they looked and were dressed. The Joker was in a dark purple suit, with a matching shirt and tie. His face was caked with white makeup, except around the eyes and mouth. The eyes were black, while the mouth was done in an exaggerated smile. As for Harley Quinn, she was wearing a tight t-shirt that showed a good couple of inches of her midsection, a pair of short shorts with fishnet stockings and a pair of high-heeled boots. They were really strange, especially when compared against the likes of Deathstroke and Deadshot.

While she was thinking all of this, one of the guests had decided to lip off to the Joker. Diggle and Montoya both cringed at that, especially when the Joker pulled out a knife and put it in the man’s mouth. There was nothing they could do, however. Their job was to protect Felicity and anything that either of them might try would likely increase the danger the blonde faced.

“OK, stop,” called out a voice, one that was becoming familiar to Diggle. A feeling of dread came over him when he saw Barbara sitting there, about eight feet from where the Joker stood. The psychopath walked over to her, seeming to delight in the slight shudder that went through the redhead the closer he came.

“Well, hello beautiful,” the Joker said with a light laugh. “Did you miss me? I’ll bet you think about me every day, don’t you? Every time you go to get out of bed?”

“No, not anymore. I came to realize, I could focus on the past and remain trapped by it. Or, I could look to the future. I picked the future.”

“Have you been talking to my doctors? Because they give similar lines of babble that mean nothing. See, I know that I’m kinda permanently in your head and you’re not getting rid of me that easily, sweetheart.”

Barbara smiled to herself. She was stalling for time, giving the guys a chance to get into their outfits and move into position. She silently blessed Bruce and his obsession with preparation, as well as having backup plans. In this case, it was the backup Batcave that resided beneath the sub-basement of the Wayne Foundation building. Alfred was manning the system tonight and had gotten the alert that Joker and Harley had broken out of Arkham. This had been passed on to Bruce, who had decided that Dick would be the easiest to slip away from the gala while Bruce and Tim had stayed at the party until they knew where the criminal couple were.

When they had shown up at the gala, it was a simple matter for Bruce and Tim to slip away as well and make their ways downstairs. Barbara hadn’t expected to get involved, not until mister big shot had decided to open his mouth. She couldn’t wait for the crime fighters to get into position. She knew that the Joker was unstable at best and completely crazy at worst. She was living proof of that. She wasn’t going to let him loose on another person, not if she could help it. So, here she was sitting in front of the man, her nerves tingling as he circled her. She fought them down, relying on all the training that Bruce had given her as well as the knowledge that Batman, Robin and Nightwing would soon be there.

The Joker was running his fingers through her hair when she finally heard the sound. A smile ghosted over Barbara’s lips, though she kept her focus here. Harley was in front of her, a giant mallet resting on her shoulder. The former Batgirl was familiar with that weapon and knew the deranged former psychologist was an expert with it. It might look funny, but it was no laughing matter to be on the receiving end of it.

Felicity was watching all of this, terrified for her new friend. Yet, Barbara seemed calm and collected to the blonde, making her wonder how often things like this happened in Gotham. Listening to the way the man spoke, it was as if something personal had happened between the two of them. But what that might have been, she didn’t know. Then it came to her and she shuddered at the realization of what he was implying, that he had been the one responsible for the redhead being paralyzed.

Neither Felicity nor Diggle caught the noise that had alerted Barbara, so they were both surprised to see three men drop from seemingly nowhere into the middle of the atrium that made up most of the first floor. A murmur went through the party-goers as they recognized the trio. However, Felicity didn’t get much of a chance to see what would happen, as Diggle and Montoya used the opportunity presented by attention being focused there to move their small group to the exit they had previously been heading to. They had just gotten the door opened when one of the henchmen caught sight of them out of the corner of his eye and turned their way. Diggle practically shoved Felicity out the door as the man’s shotgun came up and started tracking.

That shove turned out to be a blessing, as Felicity stumbled and went down in the hallway on the other side of the door. She was still sprawled there, Selena turning to help her up when the shotgun blasted on the other side of the door. She heard a muffled curse, then saw a pattern in the door where the double ought buckshot passed through. Diggle came diving through just before a second blast was heard and more buckshot followed. Selena pulled the blonde to her and helped her up, the pair running as soon as they were on their feet. Diggle and Montoya stayed behind them, watching over their shoulders in case someone came after them.

No one would be following them, however. Robin had seen the henchman who’d fired the shotgun and focused on him first. Nightwing went for Harley Quinn, ducking under a swing of the mallet to deliver a one-two combo to the woman’s chest and jaw that sent her reeling backwards. Another of the henchmen tried to intervene, but couldn’t use the shotgun without fear of hitting the boss’ girlfriend, something he knew Mister J would kill him over.

While Nightwing and Robin were dealing with the rest, Batman was focusing on the Joker. The clown was using Barbara as a kind of shield, keeping her between himself and the dark knight. He also knew, from all of their run-ins in the past that the man wasn’t going to kill him. It made things kind of funny, really, as this cycle could just keep going on and on. Sadly, the other man didn’t see the humor in it, didn’t get the joke. No matter how hard he’d tried, he’d only ever gotten the other man to laugh once, just once.

“Let her go, Joker,” Batman growled.

“Now, why would I want to do that?” Joker asked with a laugh. “She’s such a fun date. Don’t complain, let’s me lead. Besides, we’ve got a bond that will last the rest of her life. Don’t we, beautiful?”

“Only in your mind,” Barbara replied, as she slowly slid out one of her Escrima sticks, waiting for her chance. “Like I said before, I’m focused on the future. A future I wouldn’t have had if not for what you did. So, maybe in a way, I should be thanking you, because without this, I never would have gone down the path I’m on now.”

Joker was surprised to hear her say that, he truly was. Yes, she’d been a simple pawn in a much bigger game, but he’d expected what he’d done, not just by shooting her, but everything afterwards. He’d truly expected that all to have broken her. Yet, here she was, talking about thanking him. He moved around in front of her, looking at her face, trying to read her eyes. He was so focused on that that he never saw the Escrima stick until it impacted with the side of his head. Afterwards, all he was seeing was stars until Batman yanked him away from the redhead and slammed him to the ground. The caped crusader got in a couple of blows of his own before cuffing the psychopath and looking up at Barbara.

Barbara wasn’t surprised to feel a tear running down her cheek. She hadn’t meant to say all of that, had simply been trying to get him to move, to get where she could strike out at him. Somehow, the thoughts she’d kept hidden, especially from herself, they had all come rushing out. The path that her life was on wouldn’t have happened without that night. She’d still be playing the librarian by day while spending her nights fighting crime with the guys. But, it would have only been her, Tim and Bruce. Dick had still been staying way, still been angry at Bruce and at her. Even now, though the anger had cooled, there were occasionally still flashes of it.

Bruce looked away. As Batman, he couldn’t appear to be too concerned about any one person, no matter how much that person might matter to Bruce Wayne. To do otherwise was to invite them being targeted by the scum of Gotham, a way to get to the Batman. It was also why he hadn’t been able to say a thing when he saw Felicity with Selena Kyle of all people. Bruce Wayne should have no way of knowing that Selena and Catwoman were one and the same.

Looking around the area, he wasn’t surprised to find Harley Quinn and the rest of the henchmen taken care of. In fact, he’d have been shocked if they hadn’t been. He saw that most of the guests were either gone or trying to get out the doors, fighting against the flow of police making their way in. He spotted Commissioner Gordon among them. He kept looking around and then frowned. There was a body laying on the floor. He moved closer to it, not seeing any blood.

“You know him?” Nightwing said from behind him.

“Hard to tell with him face down,” Batman replied, kneeling next to the body. He pulled a fingerprint scanner from his utility belt and quickly got a print.

“What are you doing, Bats?” complained Harvey Bullock from behind them.

“Getting a print, that’s all. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“See that you do.”

Batman and Nightwing exchanged a glance before moving away. Bullock had always had an attitude towards them, not that they minded. They knew he was one of the few straight cops on the force and the Jim Gordon trusted him completely. Those two qualities forgave a lot of sins in their minds. Besides, Barbara was inside the GCPD system, so they would be able to see whatever leads the police came up with that might be worth checking on their own.

Deciding that now was a good time to take their leaves, the pair pulled out their grappling guns and fired lines up towards an exposed railing. As they disappeared from sight, Barbara looked up and smiled briefly before her father came to her. The pair exchanged a hug, the father thankful that his daughter was alright. When they did break apart, Barbara looked around, trying to see if she could spot Felicity. She hadn’t seen her since she’d been pulled away and had never gotten a chance to get back. She felt badly about that, as she knew that the blonde didn’t really know anyone here and she’d planned to stick with her as she met more people.

“Something wrong, sweetheart?” Commissioner Gordon asked his daughter.

“I don’t see someone,” Barbara told him, drawing a raised eyebrow from her father which got a little chuckle out of her. “Felicity Smoak. She’s the new VP for Wayne Tech I told you about. We came together and then we got separated. I don’t see her.”

“She’s probably outside. There were a whole host of people streaming out when we got here.”

“I’m sure that’s it. Plus, she had her bodyguards with her and I know they would have kept her safe.”

“Come on, we’ll go out there and find her for you,” Commissioner Gordon said, stepping behind her wheelchair and pushing her towards the door. He didn’t really need to be here, Bullock and the others could process the crime scene without him hovering. Besides, it gave him a few minutes with his daughter, something that was too rare an occurrence to begin with. Both of their jobs demanded a lot of their time, unfortunately.

When they were outside, Barbara started searching the crowd. She didn’t expect to have a lot of luck seeing Felicity, even in heels the woman was too short to pick out in a crowd. No, she was looking for Diggle, figuring that wherever he was, she would be too. She didn’t see him on her first sweep, but then she kept looking. Finally, she spotted him, standing next to a bench in front of the building that was next to the Wayne Foundation building. His suit coat was off, draped over a small form on the bench, a dark haired woman sitting next to her.

Diggle saw her and nodded as she started coming over. He knew Felicity had been worried about the redhead and had wanted to go looking for her. Diggle and Montoya had both put their foots down at that, not wanting to get their client closer to potential danger if they could help it. So, instead, they’d brought her over to here along with Miss Kyle. The pair of them had been quietly talking while they waited. Felicity had insisted that she wasn’t leaving with Barbara and Diggle knew better than to argue with her about that. So, they had waited.

“Felicity,” Barbara called out as she and her father approached, the redhead propelling her wheelchair on her own now. She watched as Felicity turned her head and saw her, then got up from the bench, the dark haired woman standing with her. Felicity came around the bench and knelt, embracing her friend.

“Barbara, I’m so glad that you’re okay,” Felicity said. “I was so scared when I saw that man circling you. I thought for sure he was going to hurt you. Then all the chaos happened and I couldn’t find you. They wouldn’t let me go back to look for you, which was definitely the right decision now that I think about it, but I was so worried and...”

“Breath, Felicity. I’m fine, really. Just a little shaken is all, but nothing that a glass of wine and some chocolate won’t cure.”

“Have you seen Bruce or Mister Fox?”

“Not yet, but they were on the second floor and may not be out of the building yet,” Barbara told the blonde.

“There they are, Barbara,” Commissioner Gordon said, pointing to where Bruce, Lucius, Tim and Tam were coming out one of the side entrances to the Wayne Foundation building.

“Thanks, Dad.”

As they were looking that way, Selena came up behind Felicity and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I’m glad your friend is okay, Felicity,” Selena told her. “I’m going to go now. This was more excitement than I was planning on tonight.”

“I know what you mean,” Felicity said with a chuckle, getting one from the raven-haired woman as well. “I really enjoyed talking with you.”

“Me too. Maybe we could do it again, without someone crashing the party.”

“I’d like that. Let me give you my number.”

Felicity proceeded to tell Selena her phone number, also letting her know she’d be back by the end of next week. While she was doing this, Bruce and the others reached their group. From her angle, she didn’t see the looks that passed fleetingly between Bruce, Tim and Barbara. None of them should know who Selena Kyle actually was, but Batman, Robin and Oracle certainly did. The real question though was what was Catwoman’s interest in Felicity. Bruce certainly wasn’t going to accept the surface answer, not without examining every other possibility. The woman was a master thief and he worried that Felicity was potentially her next mark. They would need to keep an eye on both women.

Felicity sighed watching Selena walk away. She hoped that they would be become friends, but she’d never had a lot of success making friends. She was worried that as the other woman got to know her she’d be put off by the babbling. That this would be like many other times she’d begun trying to be friends with someone only for it to fizzle out for one reason or another. Yet, she couldn’t deny that she was looking forward to meeting up with Selena again in the future.

Barbara looked at Felicity. She was more than ready to go, but she had ridden with the blonde. She could always ask her father for a ride home, but knew that he would want to be here, keeping an eye on something as high profile as this. Fortunately, Felicity laid a hand on her shoulder and nodded. She also saw Montoya walking off to get the car, while Diggle stayed with them. It was only a few minutes later and they were on their way back to their apartments, there to focus on putting the night behind them.


End file.
